Forty years after the quasi-civil war of 1984-1988, New Caledonia has plunged back into an episode of violence since May 13. One of the main reasons for this popular anger is the same as that which triggered the violence of the 1980s: the definition of who has the right to vote to decide the future of New Caledonia.
Because this Pacific archipelago, colonized by France in 1853, is torn between the loyalists, mainly European, and the separatists, largely from the indigenous Kanak people. So that people, mainly European, who had arrived just a few months or years ago, could not influence the important decisions of the archipelago, a so-called “special” electoral body had been set up for certain votes.
In this video, we return to this particularity, ratified by the historic agreements of Matignon (1988) then Nouméa (1998). We also explain the contours of the new constitutional reform, currently being discussed in Parliament and already adopted in the National Assembly on May 15, which plans to modify the criteria.
To find out more about the deterioration of dialogue between the French state, loyalists and separatists, you will find below an account of the three years which saw political consensus dwindle in New Caledonia.
“Understand in three minutes”
The explanatory videos that make up the “Understand in three minutes” series are produced by the Vertical Videos department of the World. Broadcast primarily on platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, they aim to put major events into context in a short format and make the news accessible to everyone.