French forces smashed through dozens of barricades in a bid to retake the main road to New Caledonia's airport and a top official said Sunday, May 19, that France would reclaim all of the Pacific territory from pro-independence rioters "whatever the cost."
After six nights of violence that have left six dead and hundreds injured, High Commissioner Louis Le Franc, the highest state official in New Caledonia, warned in a televised address that new raids on pro-independence strongholds would be staged. "Republican order will be re-established whatever the cost," Le Franc said, adding that if separatists "want to use their arms, they will be risking the worst."
New Caledonia, with a population of about 270,000, has been convulsed by unrest since Monday, sparked by French plans to impose new voting rules that would give tens of thousands of non-indigenous residents voting rights. Authorities say around 230 people have been detained.
Protesters have set vehicles, businesses and public buildings alight and took control of the main road to La Tontouta International Airport, which has been closed to commercial flights.
France says about 1,000 security forces have been sent to the islands. Some 600 heavily armed police and paramilitaries took part in an operation Sunday to retake the 60-kilometer main road from the capital Nouméa to the airport, authorities said.
Forces with armored vehicles "broke through" around 60 barricades on the road with only minor clashes, Le Franc said. But heaps of burned cars, wood and scrap metal in place at about 40 barricades would only be removed on Monday and Tuesday. The road has also been badly damaged, the official said. The highway is needed to restore supply chains as the archipelago faces shortages of items from groceries to blood for transfusions. "We are starting to run short of food," Le Franc said.
A nighttime curfew, state of emergency, ban on TikTok and the reinforcements failed to prevent more unrest overnight Saturday to Sunday. Unidentified groups set two fires and raided a petrol station, Le Franc's office said, as well as destroying schools, pharmacy and supermarkets.
The local government said in a statement that schools would be closed until May 24. But authorities insisted the situation is improving, adding that "the night has been calmer." Le Franc said security forces would now stage "harassment" raids to reclaim other parts of the Pacific territory held by pro-independence groups.
"Stay hopeful," he told people who have set up ad-hoc armed groups to defend their neighborhoods, while warning against violence that could set off a "widespread conflagration." He added: "This will all come to an end, believe me."
An estimated 3,200 tourists and other foreigners are trapped. Australia and New Zealand have pressed France for clearance to evacuate their citizens. In Wellington, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the New Zealand military had "completed preparations" for repatriation flights.