“Control of New Caledonia within hours”

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State of emergency, TikTok ban and troops to New Caledonia's ports and international airport. This is France's response to the protests witnessed by the Al Jazeera group in recent days.

According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, the state will take control of the archipelago within the next few hours.

More than 200 “rioters” have been arrested since the outbreak of the protests. At least five people were killed, including two policemen, and hundreds were injured in the worst protests to hit New Caledonia since the 1980s. But according to Gérald Darmanin, order will soon be restored. This came in an interview with the French TV channel France 2.

– We will go from 1,700 police officers – which is already a large number – to 2,700 police officers tomorrow night, says Darmanin.

The protests broke out on Monday as the French National Assembly was scheduled to implement changes to voting procedures with which separatists were unhappy. This change means an increase in the number of eligible voters in New Caledonia's regional elections, which critics believe could have a negative impact on indigenous people.

The authorities responded by summoning security personnel, imposing a curfew, banning public gatherings, and closing the main airport.

New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean is a cross between an independent state and a French administrative unit. This island group, which has been affiliated with France since 1853, and has a population of about 270,000 people, voted several times in favor of independence, and the side that rejected independence won the elections.