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It's been 38 years since a French territory became independent, creating the Republic of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. This weekend, the situation was close to recurring, this time in neighboring New Caledonia.
The citizens of this archipelago, 1 207 km east of Australia, went to the polls on November 4 to answer the question: "Do you want New Caledonia to acquire full sovereignty and become independent? "
The pro-independence team lost, but by a tighter margin than predicted some polls. The results showed that 56.4% of the supported voters remained from France and 43.6% were in favor of departure. About 81% of the 175,000 people eligible to vote voted.
For the moment, France overseas, including its territories located off the coasts of North and South America, the Indian Ocean and Antarctica, remains intact.
A troubled history
New Caledonia is valuable to France for economic and political reasons. Former prison colony (until the late nineteenth century), the BBC explains that its location is "an asset" to the French and that the territory claims 25% of the world's supply of nickel, a metal used in the manufacture of electronic products.
The Kanaks, an indigenous people, represent almost 40% of the population. In the 1980s, independent Kanaks launched a campaign to break free from France. This conflict ultimately resulted in the death of 19 Kanaks and four French soldiers during a shocking hostage of French police officers. Lulled by the bloodshed, the warring parties concluded a peace agreement in 1988 which promised that the issue would be reconsidered in 20 years.
Although some Kanaks support France, the indigenous group suffered under French control. They were "forced to live in reserves in remote areas, to pay specific taxes and to perform mandatory work at very low wages," AP News reported. Some places were forbidden to Kanaks, who also had to respect curfews.
In 1946, New Caledonia acquired its autonomy, although Paris supports its economy with annual subsidies of 1.3 billion euros. Ethnically, Europeans represent nearly 30% of the population and their allegiance to France remains strong.
During a visit to the territory last spring, French President Emmanuel Macron said his country would be "less beautiful without New Caledonia."
After today's vote, he fainted. "I must tell you how proud I am to have finally crossed this historic milestone together."
