New Caledonia by way of 17 articles taken from the archives of “Le Monde” | EUROtoday

• One hundred and thirty-one years of French presence, from the dream of a “southern France” to ethnic and political bipolarization

In 1984, the separatists of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) known as for a boycott of the territorial elections. Violence between separatists and loyalists elevated till the bloody hostage-taking in Ouvéa in 1988. In this context of maximum tensions, Jean-Marie Colombani retraces the 100 and thirty-one years of French presence in New Caledonia. (Article revealed November 27, 1984.)

• Jacques Lafleur, patrician of the antipodes

RPR deputy, Jacques Lafleur brings collectively the loyalist teams and takes the lead within the resistance to the separatists engaged within the armed battle. Here is the portrait of one of many key males of the New Caledonian political scene for nearly three many years. (Article revealed December 3, 1984.)

• Seven questions and a thriller concerning the Ouvéa affair

On April 22, 1988, a bunch of separatist Kanaks attacked the gendarmerie of Ouvéa, a small island off the coast of New Caledonia. They kill 4 gendarmes earlier than taking refuge, with sixteen hostages, in a cave. Two weeks later, between the 2 rounds of the presidential election, the federal government of Jacques Chirac selected power to free the hostages: the military attacked and killed nineteen Kanaks. Nine days after the assault on the cave, the authorities' explanations increase many doubts. (Article revealed May 14, 1988.)

• A fragile compromise, a sure “disappointment” among the many separatists

Just a few weeks after Ouvéa, on June 26, 1988, the Matignon agreements, negotiated beneath the aegis of the Prime Minister, Michel Rocard, had been signed by Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Jacques Lafleur, respective representatives of the separatists and the loyalists. They mark a primary step in a sluggish course of, nonetheless unfinished, in direction of doable independence. (Article revealed June 29, 1988.)

• Two males who had chosen to make peace

On May 4, 1989, throughout a customary ceremony in reminiscence of the 19 Kanaks who died through the assault on the Ouvéa cave a 12 months earlier, the 2 leaders of the FLNKS, Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Yéiwéné ​​Yeiwéné, are assassinated by an independence activist. A glance again on the journey of those two males of peace. (Article revealed May 6, 1989.)

The assassinations of Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Yeiwéné ​​Yeiwéné ​​on May 4, 1989 weakened and divided all the Melanesian neighborhood. And nobody appears capable of succeed Jean-Marie Tjibaou on the head of a coalition as heterogeneous because the FLNKS. Extremist impulses then danger now not encountering any brakes, conclude Jean-Marie Colombani and Alain Rollat. (Article revealed May 6, 1989.)

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