New Caledonia votes to remain in France

THE South Pacific territory of New Caledonia chose to remain French yesterday, narrowly rejecting independence in a tightly-fought referendum marked by a high turnout.

The vote rejecting a breakaway from France after almost 170 years came in at 53.26 per cent, according to final results, down from 56.7 per cent in a referendum two years ago. French President Emmanuel Macron – who had said previously that “France would be less beautiful without New Caledonia” – yesterday said he was grateful to the archipelago’s voters.

“I welcome this sign of confidence in the republic with a profound sense of gratitude,” Mr Macron said from his office. He added that he also felt “humility” at the outcome, which showed a clear progression of the proindependence vote compared with the independence referendum in 2018.

Yesterday’s referendum was part of a carefully negotiated decolonisation plan agreed in 1998 to end a deadly conflict between the mostly proi ndependence i ndigenous Kanak population and the descendants of European settlers. That violence culminated in a bloody, drawn- out hostage crisis in 1988 in which 19 separatists were killed, along with six police and special forces personnel.