Manuel Valls in New Caledonia: war of words and clashes over independence talks

French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls' first two days in New Caledonia have been marred by several clashes with local pro-France, anti-independence movements, who feared he would side with their pro-independence opponents.

However, he remained confident that all stakeholders will eventually come and sit together at the table for negotiations.

Valls arrived in the French Pacific territory on Saturday with a necessary resumption of crucial political talks regarding New Caledonia's political future high on his agenda, nine months after the deadly May 2024 civil unrest.

His visit comes as tensions has risen in the past few days against a backdrop of verbal escalations and rhetoric, the pro-France camp (opposing independence) stressing that three referendums had resulted in three rejections of independence (in 2018, 2020, and 2021).

But the third referendum in December 2021 was boycotted by a large part of the pro-independence, mainly Kanak community, and they have since disputed the validity of its result (even though, legally, it was deemed valid).

On Saturday, the first day of his visit to the Greater Nouméa city of Mont-Dore, during a ceremony paying homage to a French gendarme who was killed at the height of the riots last year, Valls and one of the main pro-France leaders, French MP Nicolas Metzdorf, had a heated and public argument.

The 'First Nation' controversy

Metzdorf, who was flanked by Sonia Backès, another major pro-France local leader, said Valls had "insulted" the pro-France camp because he had mentioned the indigenous Kanak people being the "first people" in New Caledonia (equivalent to the notion of "First Nation").

Hours before, Valls had just met New Caledonia's Custom Senate (a traditional gathering of Kanak chiefs) and told them that "nothing can happen in New Caledonia without a profound respect towards [for] the Melanesian people, the Kanak people, and the first people".

"When you say there are first people, you don't respect us! Your statements are insulting" Metzdorf told Valls in an exchange that was filmed on the road and later aired on public broadcaster NC la 1ère.

"If there are first peoples, it means there are second peoples and that some are more important than others".

To which Valls replied: "When you are toying with these kinds of concepts, you are making a mistake".

Every word counts

The 1998 Nouméa Accord's preamble is largely devoted to the recognition of New Caledonia's indigenous community (autochtone/indigenous).

On several occasions, Valls faced large groups of pro-France supporters with French tricolour flags and banners (some in Spanish language, a reference to Valls's Spanish double heritage), asking him to "respect their democratic (referendum) choice".

Some were also chanting slogans in Spanish ("No pasaran") or with a Spanish accent.

"I'm asking for just one thing: for respect towards citizens and those representing the government", an irate Valls told the crowd.

Questions have since been raised from local organisations and members of the general public as to why and how an estimated five hundred pro-France supporters had been allowed to gather, as the French High Commissioner still maintains a ban on all public gatherings and demonstrations in Nouméa and its greater area.

"We voted three times no. No means no", some supporters told the visiting minister, asking him not to "let them down".

"You shouldn't believe what you've been told. Why wouldn't you remain French?", Valls told protesters.

"I think the minister must state very clearly that he respects those three referendums and then, we'll find a solution on that basis", said Backès.

Both Metzdorf and Backès however assured they would take part in "negotiations" scheduled to take place this week.

"We are ready to make compromises", Backès said on Saturday.

Valls carried on with his heavy schedule at the weekend.

He travelled to Northern parts and outer islands of New Caledonia to pay homage to the victims during previous insurrections in New Caledonia, including French gendarmes and Kanak militants who died in 1988 on Ouvéa Island (Loyalty group).

During those trips, he also repeatedly advocated for re-building New Caledonia and for every stakeholder to "reconcile memories" and sit at the negotiation table" "without hatred".

Valls believes 'everyone will be at the table'

In an interview on local public broadcaster NC la 1ère on Sunday, the French minister said he was confident "everyone will be at the table".

The first plenary meeting is to be held on Monday afternoon.

It will be devoted to agreeing on a "method".

"I believe everyone will be there," he said.

"All groups, political, economic, social, all New Caledonians, I'm convinced, are a majority who wish to keep a strong link within France," he commented.

He also reiterated that following New Caledonia's Matignon (1988) and Nouméa (1998) peace Accords, the French Pacific territory's envisaged future was to follow a path to "full sovereignty".

"The Nouméa Accord is the foundation. Undeniably, there have been three referendums. And then there was May 13.

"There is a before and an after (the riots). My responsibility is to find a way. We have the opportunity of these negotiations, let's be careful of the words we use", he said on Sunday, asking every stakeholder for "restraint".

"I've also seen some pro-independence leaders say that (their) people's sacrifice and death were necessary to access independence. And this, either, is not on."

Valls also said the highly sensitive issue of "unfreezing" New Caledonia's special voters' roll for local elections (a reform attempt that triggered the May 2024 riots) was "possible", but it will be part of a wider, comprehensive agreement on the French Pacific entity's political future.

A mix of 'fear and hatred'

Apart from the planned political negotiations, Valls also intends to devote significant time to New Caledonia's dire economic situation, in post-riot circumstances that have not only caused 14 dead, but also several hundred job losses and total damage estimated at some €2.2 billion.

A first, much-expected economic announcement also came on Sunday: Valls said the State-funded unemployment benefits (which were supposed to cease in the coming days), will now be extended until 30 June.

For the hundreds of businesses which were destroyed last year, he said a return to confidence was essential and a prerequisite to any political deal... And vice-versa.

"If there's no political agreement, there won't be any economic investment.

"This may cause the return of fresh unrest, a form of civil war. I have heard those words coming back, just like I've heard the words racism, hatred...I can feel hope and at the same time a fear of violence. I feel all the ferments of a confrontation," he said.