France's president visited New Caledonia on Thursday, urging a return to peace after deadly rioting and promising to deploy thousands of military reinforcements for as long as necessary to quell what he called an "unprecedented insurrection."
Emmanuel Macron arrived in the capital Noumea after a 24-hour flight seeking ways to end more than a week of looting, arson and clashes that have left six people dead and hundreds injured.
The unrest erupted over a French voting reform plan that Indigenous Kanaks say will dilute their voice.
As he exited the plane at Tontouta International Airport, the French leader told reporters he wanted to ensure that "as quickly as possible there will be a return to peace, calm, security."
"That is the absolute priority," Macron added, ahead of a day of intensive meetings with local leaders.
He is expected to spend about 12 hours on the ground.
France has ruled New Caledonia since the 1800s, but many Indigenous Kanaks still resent Paris' power over their islands and want fuller autonomy or independence.
"I don't know why our fate is being discussed by people who don't even live here," said Mike, a 52-year-old Kanak at a separatist roadblock north of the capital, on the eve of Macron's visit.
Since May 13, separatists have thrown up barricades that have cut off whole neighborhoods and the main route to the international airport, which remains shuttered.
People of French and other origins have blocked off streets in their own neighborhoods in response.
It had been a "totally unprecedented movement of insurrection," Macron said, adding that "no-one saw it coming with this level of organization and violence."
Nightly riots have seen scores of cars, schools, shops and businesses burned.
French authorities have imposed a state of emergency, placed separatist leaders under house arrest, banned alcohol sales and sent around 3,000 troops, police and other security reinforcements to quell the turmoil.
The fact that Macron is willing to make such a long journey just weeks before key European elections may show just how high the stakes are.
His visit began with a minute of silence for the dead and an hourslong discussion with local elected officials, before visiting a police station to thank security forces.
"By the end of the day" there would be "decisions" and "announcements" about next steps, Macron promised – while adding that he could extend his stay if needed.
Security forces would also "stay for as long as necessary, even during the Olympic and Paralympic Games" to be held in Paris in July-August.
New Caledonia is 17,000 kilometers (10,500 miles) from the French mainland but remains both part of France and a strategic outpost in an increasingly contested region.
China, the United States, New Zealand, Japan, Arab Gulf states and France are vying for influence across the South Pacific – seeing it as crucial geopolitical real estate.
New Caledonia is also attractive as one of the world's largest nickel producers, with up to 30% of global reserves.
The archipelago's deadliest unrest in four decades was sparked by French plans to give voting rights to thousands of non-indigenous long-term residents, something Kanaks say would dilute the influence of their votes.
New Caledonia has on three occasions rejected independence in referendums.
But the last of those ballots took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and was boycotted by much of the Kanak population.
Macron ruled out going back on the result of the referendums, saying peace could not come at the cost of ignoring the will of the people or "somehow denying the road that has already been taken."
He last visited New Caledonia in July 2023, on a trip that was boycotted by Kanak representatives.
Pro-independence leaders were present at the president's first meeting Thursday, ahead of a second set to focus more closely on the political issues facing the territory.
Out on the streets, AFP correspondents saw Kanaks still manning reinforced roadblocks on the day of Macron's visit, flying pro-independence flags and displaying protest banners against the electoral reform.
But a heavy police presence was sheltering some semblance of normal life in central Noumea, where many shops had reopened to customers and long queues formed outside businesses such as bakeries.
Hundreds of tourists from Australia and New Zealand have begun to flee the turmoil, although hundreds more remain trapped.
But there was anger Thursday that Macron's visit – which includes a large security footprint at both Noumea's domestic and international airports – had put further repatriation flights on hold.
Australia's Foreign Ministry emailed travelers to say there would be no flights Thursday, a situation New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters called "frustrating."
Efforts to reopen the international airport for commercial flights have been repeatedly delayed. But operators hope connections will resume on Saturday.
