New Caledonian senator accuses France of legalizing colonialism

The French government is legalizing colonial settlement in defiance of the 1998 agreement, Senator Robert Xowie, who represents New Caledonia in the French Senate, said during his speech in the upper house of the parliament, Report informs.

"Bias makes debates ineffective today. The state should understand that it is time to take smart steps,” he said.

He said that the Kanak people are not enemies of the French people: “He wants to end 70 years of colonial history. The government presented a draft agreement on September 6, which will be the basis for revising the constitution. This document begins with the Caledonians stating that they want New Caledonia to remain part of France. Caledonian historian Jose Barbancon said that the Caledonian people do not exist without the Kanak people.”

The senator added that the last referendum held by France in New Caledonia was not accepted by the UN: "This was a French pretext for removing New Caledonia from the list of territories to be decolonized. Also, France's actions aim to replace the Noumea Accord by stripping it of its constitutional value."