Page 16 - IB April 2023

New Caledonia New Caledonia

year, and the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) will hold
its 12th General Assembly in New Caledonia next November.
PCC general secretary Reverend James Bhagwan said: “It
is significant for us, because the first PCC General Assembly
in 1966 took place in Lifou in the Loyalty Islands in Kanaky.
Given the challenge that our sisters and brothers have faced,
particularly on the third referendum, it’s an important oppor-
tunity for us to come as a faith community, to actually listen
to the local community and churches in Kanaky.”

Contested vote
For supporters of independence, there’s ongoing anger
about the conduct of the French government, after it pushed
through the third referendum on self-determination in De-
cember 2021.
The first two referendums under the Noumea Accord saw
minority but growing support for independence: 43.3% in No-
vember 2018 and 46.7% in October 2020. Then Paris decided
to rush the third vote mid-pandemic in December 2021, rather
than late 2022 after France’s presidential elections. Tens of
thousands of independence supporters, mainly indigenous
Kanak, opted for “non-participation”, and turnout halved
compared to 2020. Only 3.5% of people said ‘Yes’ to indepen-
dence.
Anti-independence leaders say these three votes have
ended the Noumea Accord, and France’s highest adminis-
trative court, the Conseil d’Etat, has validated the third
referendum result under French law. Despite this, the final
vote remains contentious on the international stage – United
This month, Mapou again reiterated his focus on working Nations principles of decolonisation require that the colonised
with neighbouring countries: “On the Indo-Pacific, I don’t Kanak people must participate in any valid process.
know about ‘Indo’, I’m focussed on the Pacific. I’m preoccu- From her work in New York, FLNKS representative Magalie
pied with our integration within the Pacific region, which has Tingal-Leme said that “on the political level, the problem of
been delayed for far too long.” credibility is obvious. The fact that 57% of the population did
Independence leaders are fanning out to seek international not participate in the third referendum shows that there is a
support from the United Nations, the Melanesian Spearhead lack of credibility in the process.”
Group (MSG) and the Pacific Islands Forum. As Congress “The result may have been recognised within French juris-
President, Roch Wamytan has travelled widely in the region, prudence, but we’ve clearly told the French State that this is
signing MOUs between New Caledonia’s legislature and MSG not accepted by the FLNKS,” she said. “There was a steady
parliaments. progression of the ‘Yes’ vote in the first two referendums. The
Magalie Tingal-Leme has lobbied as the FLNKS representa- French State may accept the outcome of the third vote, but
tive at the United Nations, seeking diplomatic support for a we will never accept this. Our independence was stolen.”
sovereign and independent Kanaky-New Caledonia.
“I’m really following in the footsteps of our past FLNKS Talks in Paris
leaders, who campaigned for the re-inscription of New Cale- To bridge this divide, three separate delegations travelled
donia on the UN list of non-self-governing territories,” she to Paris in mid-April, to hold bilateral discussions with French
said. “However, this network of support needs to be refreshed Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne and Minister of Interior and
and updated. The world has changed and it’s vital for the Overseas, Gérald Darmanin. Alongside the FLNKS delega-
FLNKS to be heard more and more on the international stage. tion led by Roch Wamytan, there were two groups of anti-
The solidarity shown to the Kanak people in the 1980s is still independence parties: one from Calédonie ensemble led by
evident across the region – we just need to fan the embers Philippe Gomès; another from the Loyalist bloc led by Sonia
into flame.” Backès (who serves as President of New Caledonia’s Southern
There is also significant support for the Kanak people province but also Minister for Citizenship in the French gov-
amongst church and civil society networks across the Pacific. ernment in Paris).
The Congress of New Caledonia signed a co-operation agree- The delegations met separately with Prime Minister Borne
ment with the Pacific Theological College (PTC) in July last and her ministers, rather than start trilateral negotiations.

16 Islands Business, April 2023