French hope for end to New Caledonia violence

Press, 24 August 1988, Page 8

French hope for end to New Caledonia violence

NZPA-AFP Paris The French Prime Minister, Michel Rocard, has scored a major political victory in brokering an agreement over the future of New Caledonia, barely four months after the archipelago tottered on the verge of civil war, political analysts said. Mr Rocard’s Socialist Government believes that conditions are now right for a return to “durable” peace in the Pacific territory after the agreement reached in Paris between leaders of New Caledonia’s pro-independ-ence and anti-independ-ence groups. The agreement calls for a French referendum on the territory to be followed by New Caledonian elections on independence to be held in 1998. The referendum — the first in 16 years — will be held in October or November and is widely expected to approve the agreement, which has already been endorsed by all the leading political parties involved. Only the. extreme right National Front and the F.U.L.K., a minority grouping within the New Caledonian pro-independ-ence faction, have ex-

pressed outright opposition to the deal.

The agreement, reached between the French Government and New Caledonia’s loyalists and separatist groups after three days of talks, was “in line with and in the spirit” of an agreement hammered out on June 26 between the separatist leader, Jeanmarie Tjibaou, and Jacques Lafleur, leader of the conservative settler community, officials said. But it gave further concessions to the pro-inde-pendence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front which had demanded a freeze on the electoral roll to exclude new immigrants from the 1998 ballot and an amnesty for separatist prisoners. Mr Tjibaou said on television on Saturday that he expected about 100 jailed separatists to be released “in time for Christmas,” while the Government has indicated that “several dozen” activists, other than those held for murder, would be paroled before the end of the year.

No specific mention was made of those charged with participation in the murder of four French gendarmes and

the abduction of 23 other officials on the island of Ouvea in late April, just before the first round of the French presidential elections.

On May 5, French troops who had located the hostages held in a cave launched an assault to free them. Two soldiers and 19 Melanesian separatists were killed. The agreement calls for the division of New Caledonia into three separate regions: the North, South and Loyalty Islands enjoying wide autonomy with minimal interference from the territorial and metropolitan authorities.

The aim, according to French Government officials, is to reduce dependence on Noumea, where a majority of European settlers live. Only those living in New Caledonia at present and their descendants will be allowed to take part in the independence vote in 1998.

Melanesians at present account for 43 per cent of the archipelago’s population of 145,000. White settlers make up 37 per cent. Meanwhile, Mr Rocard has announced he would visit the territory.