PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is making a surprise trip to riot-hit New Caledonia, the French Pacific territory that has been gripped by days of deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence.
“He will go there tonight,” government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot said after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday where the president said he’d decided to make the more than 33,000-kilometer (20,000-mile) round trip himself to the archipelago east of Australia.
Six people have been killed, including two gendarmes, and hundreds of others injured in New Caledonia amid armed clashes, looting and arson, raising new questions about Macron’s handling of France’s colonial legacy.
There have been decades of tensions between indigenous Kanaks who seek independence for the archipelago of 270,000 people, and descendants of colonizers and colonists who want to remain part of France.
Related articles:
Related suggestion:
Podcast pick: The best audio show to listen to nowWhat REALLY happened the night of OJ Simpson and Kris Jenner allegedly hooked up in the hot tubHow I kept my Easter under £10 by buying no eggs and using yearI'm a security expertBritain's 'drone superhighway' will be completed this SUMMER: 165REVEALED: The truth about viral food influencer Eddie AbbewHow to see a onceLast month was officially the hottest March on RECORD with global temperatures 0.73°C above averageHow Los Angeles police are fighting back against organized retail theftEarly man's best friend was the fox as the animal was domesticated by humans, research suggests
1.3503s , 6574.0859375 kb
Copyright © 2024 Powered by Macron is making a surprise trip to New Caledonia amid deadly unrest and indigenous frustration ,World Web news portal