While a state of emergency was declared in New Caledonia, France’s autonomous region in the Indo-Pacific, due to ongoing protests, Australia and New Zealand began the evacuation of their citizens.
Australia and New Zealand have begun the evacuation of their citizens from New Caledonia, where a state of emergency has been declared.
Australian Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy told Nine Network television that the Australian Air Force evacuated 115 people from New Caledonia with two C-130 military aircraft.
Stating that priority was given to “the elderly, pregnant women and the most vulnerable people” in the evacuation, Conroy stated that there are more than 200 more citizens who have requested to leave New Caledonia and that they will continue to “work with France” for their evacuation.
Australia and New Zealand announced yesterday that they would send evacuation planes for their citizens stranded due to protests in New Caledonia, France’s autonomous region in the Indo-Pacific.
THE PROCESS LEADING TO THE STATE OF EMERGENCY
Pro-independence supporters in New Caledonia are opposing the French government’s constitutional reform initiative, which they say would undermine the power of pro-independence indigenous people.
Kanaks, the indigenous people of New Caledonia, make up about 40 percent of the island’s population of 300 thousand.
With the draft constitutional amendment, the French government wants to pave the way for more than 25 thousand French voters on the island to vote in the elections.The island held referendums for independence 3 times, in 2018, 2020 and 2021, and the pro-independence supporters failed to reach 50 percent, but achieved rates approaching this critical threshold. In the violence, more than 200 workplaces and more than 50 vehicles were set on fire and 6 people lost their lives. A state of emergency was declared after the increasing violence in New Caledonia.
Source: AA
