(Reuters) – Three Pacific Islands leaders on a fact-finding visit to New Caledonia heard divided views on the cause of deadly riots that erupted in May, as the region’s diplomatic group seeks to support efforts to de-escalate tensions in the French Pacific territory.
The Pacific Islands Forum said in a statement on Wednesday that the delegation, including Tonga Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, and Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, had met religious leaders, mayors, women’s representatives and educators on the last day of the visit that ended on Tuesday.
Over three days, the leaders visited a technical school, hospital and commercial district badly damaged by unrest between indigenous Kanaks and French loyalists. The riots were sparked by a voting reform that French Prime Minister Michel Barnier said in October won’t now be ratified.
The Pacific leaders had earlier met political leaders, France’s High Commission and the New Caledonia Congress.
“The exchange of perspectives highlighted the importance of collaboration in addressing local needs and shaping a brighter future for New Caledonia,” the Pacific Islands Forum statement said.
Thirteen people were killed, almost 3,000 were arrested and France deployed 6,000 police to quell unrest that disrupted the capital Noumea for months.
Protest leader Christian Tein was arrested and transferred to France, where a court last week overturned his pre-trial detention.
French loyalist politicians said in a statement they had told the Pacific leaders that CCAT, the protest wing of Caledonian Union, led by Tein, played a “central and deadly role” in the riots.
Daniel Goa, president of Caledonian Union, the biggest pro-independence political party, said in a statement on Tuesday the French state was responsible for the May riots, which had been a “youth revolt”, adding Tein was an “iconic leader”.
Local media website Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes reported Fiji’s leader Rabuka as saying the Pacific delegation had heard “extremely different political positions” in the meetings and were trying to find a solution.
New Caledonia is among 18 members of the Pacific Islands Forum.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
