[ad_1]
PARIS (Reuters) – The South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia voted Sunday against the independence of France in a long-awaited referendum that put an end to 30 years of decolonization .
A vote "yes" would have deprived Paris of its anchorage in the Indo-Pacific region where China expands its presence, and began the pride of a former colonial power that had once touched the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific Ocean.
On the basis of provisional results and with a participation rate of nearly 80%, the vote "no" was established at 56.9% around 13 hours GMT, reported the local television channel NC La 1ere on its website.
"The New Caledonians have chosen to remain French … it is a vote of confidence in the French Republic, its future and its values," said President Emmanuel Macron in a speech on French television.
The referendum is the first vote of self-determination organized on French territory since Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, voted for independence in 1977.
The electors of the essentially autonomous territory had been asked the following question: "Do you want New Caledonia to acquire full sovereignty and become independent?"
Macron said he understood the disappointment of those who wanted independence, but added that the French state would guarantee freedom, equality and fraternity to all.
"The only loser is the temptation of contempt, division, violence and fear. the only winner is the peace process and the spirit of dialogue, "said Macron.
Tensions have long been deep between the indigenous Kanaks, separatists, and the descendants of settlers who remained loyal to Paris.
ANOTHER REFERENDUM?
Over the last decade, relations between the two groups have improved significantly, but the positive result of the "no" vote was well below some of the first polls, which could encourage nationalists to attempt to organize a new referendum in the coming years.
Some 175,000 of the 280,000 people living in the archipelago were eligible, with polls indicating earlier in the week that the islands had to vote to stay on French territory.
Posters calling for a "no" said that "France is the only chance", while advocates of independence have called on their posters to vote for "a multicultural, united and peaceful nation".
During a visit to the archipelago in May, Macron recognized the "pains of colonization" and praised the "dignified" campaign run by the Kanak. He and his administration sought a neutral tone in the vote.
The New Caledonian economy relies on annual subsidies of 1.3 billion euros from France, with nickel deposits accounting for around 25% of the world total and tourism.
It enjoys a large autonomy but depends heavily on France for issues such as defense and education.
Discovered for the first time by the British explorer James Cook, the archipelago of New Caledonia is more than 16,700 km from France. He became a French colony in 1853.
Under colonial rule, Kanaks were confined to reserves and excluded from much of the island's economy. The first revolt broke out in 1878, shortly after the discovery of large nickel deposits currently exploited by the French subsidiary of the French mining company Eramet, SLN.
More than a century later, in the mid-1980s, clashes erupted between supporters of independence and those who wished to remain French, while anger and anger seized the poverty and inadequate employment prospects.
A 1988 massacre in a cave on Ouvea Island killed 19 indigenous separatists and two French soldiers and intensified talks on the future of the island. An agreement reached in 1998 called for a referendum on independence by the end of 2018.
Under this agreement, in case of no vote, two other referendums may be held before 2022.
($ 1 = 0.8783 euros)
Report by Geert De Clercq and Sophie Louet in Paris and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Written by Richard Lough; Edited by Mark Heinrich
