For them, it’s no. The separatists of the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) rejected, this Wednesday, the Agreement on New Caledonia signed less than a month ago with the State and non-independence. The decision was made on Saturday during an extraordinary congress of the movement and confirmed on Wednesday at a press conference in Nouméa.
The FLNKS “formally rejects the Bougival agreement project, because of its incompatibility with the foundations and acquired of our struggle,” said Dominique Fochi, secretary general of the Caledonian Union and member of the FLNKS Political Bureau.
This text provides in particular for the creation of a “state of New Caledonia” and a Caledonian nationality, as well as the possibility of transferring sovereign skills (money, justice, police). But it does not provide for a new referendum on independence, arousing an outcry among independence activists.
“Block rejection”
“Bougival is behind us,” said Marie-Pierre Goyetche (Labor Party), also a member of the political bureau, “it is a rejection in block, we will not participate in the editorial committee” proposed by the Minister of Overseas.
“We are launching a peaceful call to our lively forces to say stop to the state if he intends to go into force,” she added.
In videoconference from Mulhouse, the president of the FLNKS, Christian Tein, denounced “an agreement with forced march proposed by Macron”.
Manuel Valls expected in New Caledonia
Without waiting for the formalization of this rejection, the Overseas Minister Manuel Valls announced on Sunday to go “the week of August 18” to New Caledonia to try to save the agreement, which he presents as “a historic compromise, fruit of working month (…) with all the delegations, including that of the FLNKS”.
The FLNKS also warns the state against all new attempts to pass by force “, a reference to the thaw project of the electoral body carried by Gérald Darmanin, then Minister of the Interior, despite the opposition of the FLNKS.
The mobilization of the independence camp against this project had degenerated into riots on May 13, 2024, resulting in months of clashes which left 14 dead and several billion euros in damage.
