Eight dead as unrest continues in New Caledonia due to voting law changes
A man shot by police in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia has died of his wounds, becoming the eighth victim of weeks of unrest prompted by changes to the voting law that Indigenous Kanaks fear will marginalize them and their push for independence. The incident occurred when armed men rammed a pickup truck into a rental car carrying gendarmes and opened fire on the road between the capital Noumea and the territory’s international airport. Two men were wounded in the exchange of gunfire, with one succumbing to his injuries. The violence erupted in mid-May in response to attempts by the French government to amend the French Constitution and change voting lists in New Caledonia, leading to clashes, looting, and arson.
Pro-independence parties and Kanak leaders are concerned that the voting legislation will favor pro-France politicians and further marginalize the Kanak community, which has faced economic disparities and discrimination for decades. France has sent hundreds of troop reinforcements to the territory to help quell the unrest, with both sides of the divide erecting barricades.
The tensions in New Caledonia date back to its colonial past when it became French in 1853 and an overseas territory after World War II. French citizenship was granted to all Kanaks in 1957. The territorial authorities have extended an overnight curfew in response to the ongoing unrest until June 17.
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