Page 30 - Islands Business September 2023

New Caledonia New Caledonia

MACRON’S MAGICAL MYSTERY

TOUR OF MELANESIA

Continued from page 25 Military build up
In his first regional trip in May 2018, Macron spoke of an
corporation that has interests in several deep-sea offshore “India-Australia-France axis”, with New Caledonia as the
exploration licences, as Papua New Guinea seeks to develop pivot. On this visit, Macron said: “For a little more than five
its extensive oil and gas reserves. TotalEnergies also holds years, France has adopted an Indo-Pacific Strategy and a
40.1% interest in Papua LNG, alongside joint venture partners renewed, strengthened and revitalised presence, especially in
ExxonMobil and Santos, as Western powers compete with the Pacific islands.”
China for infrastructure and resource contracts in the France has begun to send military assets from Europe to
Melanesian nation. tour the region each year. Operation Jeanne d’Arc sends out
Peter Bosip, Executive Director of PNG’s Centre for naval vessels, while Operation Pegasus sees the deployment of
Environmental Law and Community Rights (CELCOR) said: Rafale jet fighters to join wargames with Western allies (two
“French corporation TotalEnergies is putting our global of these military aircraft featured in a series of flyovers and
climate in jeopardy through its many fossil fuel projects, photo opportunities during Macron’s New Caledonia visit).
including Papua LNG. If President Macron is serious about his Despite this, the small number of French aircraft and
biodiversity and climate commitments, this means France warships actually based in the Pacific are ageing and lack
supporting real climate justice and sustainable development. firepower. While military forces in the region play a valuable
It does not mean standing by, as one of its companies tries to role in humanitarian and disaster relief under the FRANZ
exploit polluting fossil gas in Papua New Guinea, while at the treaty, they are largely irrelevant to any conflict with China,
same time engaged in carbon sequestration projects, such as hampered by distance, ageing technology and limited
reafforestation, as a climate solution.” budgets.
Many French defence analysts are critical that annual
Regional networking deployments from France are theatre, rather than a
Paris is eager to extend its diplomatic and security relations significant contribution to Western efforts to contain Chinese
with members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) military power on the other side of the world. Researcher
and Pacific Islands Forum. As President Macron travelled to Stephane Audrand tweeted: “Yes, projecting 10 Rafale into
Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, French Foreign Minister the Indo-Pacific is a nice tour de force, but no, it does not
Catherine Colonna made a short visit to Suva on 25 July, make us a ‘power that counts in the region.’ By definition,
meeting the Fiji government and Forum Secretariat. Macron this kind of operation is just what it is: a raid, carried out by
announced that France would open a new embassy in Apia, a micro force. Such a raid takes a long time to organise, to
extending diplomatic outreach beyond existing missions in plan, to achieve and necessarily a long time to repeat. This is
Port Vila, Port Moresby and Suva. the reality of France in the Indo-Pacific.”
For his trip to Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, Macron was Much of this theatre is geared to the competition with the
accompanied by Presidents Louis Mapou of New Caledonia United States to sell armaments to developing countries. A
and Moetai Brotherson of French Polynesia. At a time the fortnight before his trip to Melanesia, Macron invited Indian
FLNKS is calling for a transition to an independent and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France, as guest of honour
sovereign nation, and French Polynesians want action on for Bastille Day on 14 July. Amongst a range of geopolitical
long-standing claims for compensation and cleanup of nuclear issues, the two leaders discussed the planned sale of 26
contamination, both island leaders are seeking to build closer French Rafale fighters to New Delhi.
ties with neighbouring countries. As full members of the In Noumea, President Macron pledged another 200 troops
Forum, they’re also engaging directly with other powers in and 18 billion Pacific francs for military investment in New
the region, from the United States to Australia, New Zealand Caledonia. But local independence leaders remain wary
and Korea. of being drawn into France’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. For all
At this year’s Forum in Cook Islands, the unprecedented the accolades he garnered in three Melanesian capitals,
presence of two pro-independence francophone politicians the President of the French Republic still faces significant
in the leaders’ retreat will change the dynamic of regional challenges to address the contradictions of colonial rule in the
politics. Both Mapou and Brotherson want to engage with the Pacific.
Forum’s 2050 Strategy on climate, oceans and development,
much more than represent France’s geopolitical interests as a nicmaclellan@optusnet.com.au
military power in the Asia-Pacific region.

30 Islands Business, September 2023