Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that Australia received clearance from French authorities to send two evacuation flights to New Caledonia. A Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules arrived in Noumea, the capital, capable of carrying 124 passengers. Further evacuation flights are being planned. Approximately 300 Australians are currently in New Caledonia, but it remains unclear if these flights will also evacuate other foreign nationals.
New Zealand also dispatched a plane to New Caledonia to evacuate about 50 of its citizens. New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters emphasized the urgency of bringing New Zealanders home due to the challenging situation. Cooperation with France and Australia is ongoing to arrange additional flights.
Noumea’s international airport remains closed to commercial flights, with its status set to be reassessed on Thursday. The violence has created no-go zones in parts of the capital, with looted shops, torched vehicles, and road barricades impeding access to medicine and food.
The unrest began on May 13 following controversial electoral reforms passed by the French legislature in Paris. These reforms, which amend the French Constitution, include allowing residents who have lived in New Caledonia for ten years to vote in provincial elections. Opponents argue that this measure will favor pro-France politicians and further marginalize the indigenous Kanaks, who have long sought independence from France.
Approximately 270 suspected rioters have been arrested, and a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. is in effect across the archipelago, which has a population of about 270,000 people. In response to the escalating violence, France has deployed over a thousand security personnel, with additional forces arriving to restore order.
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