Main pro-independence movement of New Caledonia rejects Bougival agreement

The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (Le Front de libération nationale kanak et socialiste, FLNKS), the main pro-independence movement of New Caledonia, confirmed on Wednesday, August 13, that it rejects the Bougival Agreement signed in early July with the government and anti-independence forces.

Report informs, citing the French publication Le Monde, that the decision was made at an extraordinary congress of the movement on August 9.

It should be noted that the International Front for Decolonization (FID) had earlier also opposed the Bougival Agreements. The FID expressed deep concern that the agreement does not ensure the full and effective exercise of the Kanak people’s right to self-determination and undermines imperative principles of international law.

The Bougival Agreement was signed on July 12, 2025, in the city of Bougival near Paris between France and political forces of Kanaky (New Caledonia). The document outlines a new political model in which the territory remains part of France but obtains the status of the “State of New Caledonia” — an autonomous entity with special status.

Under the agreement, the Kanak people would hold dual citizenship — French and the newly established “Caledonian” citizenship. The document also envisions the gradual expansion of the state’s sovereign powers, including the transfer of authority in defense, security, and other areas. However, the agreement can only take effect following a positive outcome in a referendum scheduled in New Caledonia for 2026.