New Caledonia ‘under siege’, local official says, as unrest costs more lives | New Caledonia

New Caledonia is “under siege”, declared the mayor of its capital Nouméa, while a new death was recorded in the Pacific territory, bringing the toll to six after almost a week of unrest.

The person was killed in an exchange of fire against one of several makeshift barricades blocking the island’s roads, a security official told the AP news agency, while two other people were seriously injured in the clash, French media reported. The official said the exchange of fire broke out during a blockade in the north of the main island, at Kaala-Gomen.

On Saturday, Nouméa Mayor Sonia Lagarde said that although nightly violence had eased somewhat thanks to the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, “we are far from a return to normal.”

“The situation is not improving, quite the contrary, despite all the calls for calm,” she said, describing Nouméa as “besieged”.

“The damage is incredible… It’s a spectacle of desolation.”

For almost a week, the usually calm coastal city has been shaken by violence. Two gendarmes and three other people, indigenous Kanaks, were also killed.

The unrest has been blamed on economic malaise, social tensions and – above all – a political struggle between mostly indigenous independence activists and Parisian authorities.

Unrest erupted Monday, sparked by plans in Paris to impose new voting rules that could enfranchise tens of thousands of non-native residents. Independence groups say it would dilute the vote of indigenous Kanaks, who make up about 40% of the population.

Despite the state of emergency imposed on the territory by the Parisian government – ​​as well as hundreds of reinforcements for the security services – residents say that violence continues to make going out dangerous.

AFP journalists present in the Magenta district saw vehicles and buildings set on fire, while riot police were on the scene trying to regain control. On Friday night, residents reported hearing gunshots, helicopters and “massive explosions” – believed to have been caused by gas canisters exploding inside a burning building.

Hundreds of heavily armed French soldiers and police patrolled the debris-filled streets of Nouméa on Saturday.

This violence prompted French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to remove New Caledonia from the globe-trotting itinerary of the Olympic flame which was slowly heading towards Paris for the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on July 26.

A local business group has estimated the damage caused by the unrest, centered around Nouméa, at €200 million, but the damage to the islands’ reputation could cost even more.

Tourism is one of New Caledonia’s most profitable sectors, but an estimated 3,200 tourists and other travelers are stranded inside or outside the archipelago because of the airport closure international of Nouméa.

An Australian family stranded in the capital told Reuters news agency they were rationing food while waiting to leave the Pacific island territory.

“The children are definitely hungry because we don’t really have a choice in what we can feed them,” Joanne Elias told Reuters by telephone.

Elias, who has lived in the territory since May 10 with her husband and four children, said she had been asked to fill a bathtub in case water ran out as food supplies dwindled.

“We don’t know how long we’re going to be here,” she said, adding that her family was among around 30 Australians stuck at a local resort.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Canberra was “working with French and New Caledonian authorities, as well as like-minded partners including New Zealand, to assess options for Australians to leave safely.”

Aircalin plans to resume flights on Tuesday as Tontouta airport is expected to reopen, while Air Calédonie has no flights scheduled for now, the airlines said.

New Caledonia’s government said Friday that the island had two months’ worth of food supplies, but the problem lay in distribution.

Operations to provide food and medicine to the public will begin with teams including mine clearance specialists removing road barricades booby-trapped by militants, French officials said.

Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Associated Press contributed to this report