New Caledonia’s FLINKS issue statement condemning French govt

The Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) issued a statement in protest against the atrocities of the French government, Report informs.

The statement notes that the French Armed Forces used firearms again on September 19 against peaceful demonstrators in New Caledonia. Two civilians were shot, one of them died and the other was seriously injured.

At the same time, protests began in Martinique against the French administration. The French government has imposed a curfew in Martinique, as well as in New Caledonia. Security forces used excessive force against peaceful protesters.

The statement reads:

“END THE GENOCIDE OF THE KANAK PEOPLE!

The Kanak people are in mourning this Friday evening as history repeats itself, 43 years after the unsolved murder of Pierre Declercq and 36 years after Operation Victor.

The FLNKS (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front) expresses its profound anger and sadness at the tragic events that occurred this morning in the territory of the Saint-Louis tribe in the commune of Mont-Dore, where two young Kanaks were shot by law enforcement.

The FLNKS denounces the barbaric and degrading methods used by the police, who did not hesitate to kill one of the young men. The death toll has been rising steadily since May 2024, with 13 people now dead, including two gendarmes.

We demand an immediate end to military interventions in the south of our country, particularly in the militarized and oppressed village of Saint-Louis.

Following the last FLNKS congress held from August 30 to September 1, 2024, we witnessed an easing of tensions in the Commune of Koumac, with roadblocks gradually being lifted across the territory. Only the situation in Saint-Louis remained unstable.

It was for this reason that the FLNKS organized a meeting on September 8 between the CCAT (Network for the Coordination of Territories), and the population of Saint-Louis to communicate the decisions of the Congress. In the following days, other meetings were held in the village between the leaders and the High Commission to try to resolve the crisis without bloodshed.

However, the state [France], through its local representatives, the high commissioner and the prosecutor (whose repatriation we have repeatedly demanded), under the influence of the extreme right, has decided to kill only Kanaks.

The FLNKS calls on the entire population not to give in to violence, despite the pain and provocations. Today more than ever, we must continue our actions for peace and justice, to preserve the stability of our country.

We appeal to France and the international community to take into account the seriousness of the situation in New Caledonia. We once again request the dispatch of international observers to guarantee the transparency of operations and help restore dialogue. We express the need to resume negotiations on the institutional and political future of our country in order to respond to the aspirations of the Kanak people for full sovereignty, in accordance with the commitments made in the Noumea Accord.

Finally, the FLNKS expresses its support for the village of Saint-Louis, its population, and the families concerned. We call on young people to protect their lives and on the population as a whole to mobilize with full responsibility.”