Tensions in New Caledonia: Concerned inhabitants observe the rise of “camps, hatred and racism”
Demonstrators during the Freedom March organized by the Loyalists on Saturday 000 December 2018. – Theo Rouby / AFP
The social climate and politics became tense in New Caledonia around the takeover of the hydrometallurgical plant in the South, after the Brazilian group Vale, which owns 48% of the shares, has announced that it wants to withdraw.
If more than 3. jobs are at stake, this sale is above all a Politics. The “Caillou” holds 12% of the world’s nickel resources and the nationalization of mining resources is closely linked to the fight for independence.
Tensions around the resumption of the Vale factory have in fact just complicated discussions with the State on the decolonization process, while in the south of the territory, particularly in Nouméa where most of the supporters of maintaining in the Republic reside, the demonstrations “against violence” multiply.
Placed under the surveillance of the police since 000 December, the site of the Brazilian mining giant Vale, backing onto the rich Goro deposit, was once again the victim of a fire on the night of January 1. The amount of all material damage is now estimated at more than one billion CFP francs (more than eight million euros), according to Vale, reports New Caledonia The 1st .
“New Caledonia must have its own resources”
The factory employs 1. 250 employees on the site of the South province and employs approximately 1. 648 people indirectly. If more than 3. jobs are at stake, this sale is above all a political character. The resumption of the metallurgical complex, supported by the State and the Southern Province (loyalist) is strongly criticized by the collective “southern factory: country factory” and the indigenous customary negotiating body (Ican), supported by the FLNKS separatists. (Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front).
“New Caledonia must have its own resources. The local government keeps asking for help from France to finance its budget but, stop, we have to find internal means, explains Victor Tutugoro, FLNKS spokesperson. And this massive returns to New Caledonia. This “nickel doctrine” is our fight. And the question of the sale of Vale, is that of financing of the country whatever the political plan to come, whether New Caledonia becomes independent or not. “
” We have the feeling that the State is abandoning us “
Among our reader-witnesses, many are those who regret that the sale of the Vale factory took this political turn. “The takeover of the factory is only a pretext for an attempt to seize power by force by the separatists”, loose Hugo. “It is perfectly inconceivable that, under the cover of a process of decolonization, it is allowed that an ethnic group infringes the freedom of movement of others, attacks goods and people without there being any reaction. of the State “, adds Madeleine.
Inhabitants of Mont-Dore, Bob, Nicolas and Nathalie also feel” abandoned “by the authorities. In this town located south-east of Nouméa, tensions were high and roadblocks disrupted traffic for several weeks. A gas station was burnt down. “We really have the feeling that the state is abandoning us and that, as always, we should not make waves,” says its manager, Matthieu. Thirteen employees are now unemployed and the work will last eighteen months.
Victor Tutugoro, FLNKS spokesperson, president of the Progressive Union in Melanesia (UPM) and vice-president of the North Province of New Caledonia. – Theo Rouby / AFP
“Since Vale announced that he wanted to withdraw and that we put forward our proposals, we were not listened to. And to make ourselves heard, all we had left was the blocking lever. It is a lever that annoys the world but we have no other choice when for decades people have pretended to listen to us. Kanak speech is never taken into account. The ras-le-bol created the coup de sang ”, analyzes Victor Tutugoro.
The fear of reliving “new Events”
Of the dozens of testimonials that 15 Minutes received, several readers report a heavy split between the camp of the loyalists, favorable to the maintenance of the archipelago in the French Republic, and that of the separatists. Many deplore an escalation of tensions which undermines living together and leaves part of the population of the archipelago on the floor. “For ten years, we have seen crime increase in power, at the rate of the referendum deadlines. And since 2018, date of the first referendum, the tension has risen and is not falling again. There are camps, hatred, racism. Things that I knew so little until then ”, assures a Caledonian of 23 years, who prefers to remain anonymous . As for Mylène, she does not understand “how everything could have turned back when we had managed to come to an understanding and to form a country in peace”.
“The South plant file should not divide the Caledonians because it is a fight for the country, whatever either our culture or our skin color, nevertheless considers Victor Tutugoro. I read the fear of reliving the Events. We are not there. But, yes, forty years after this tragedy we continue unhappily to live in parallel. In Caledonia, there are no links, no mixing and the unknown has always been fearful. “
” Today, it is about nickel but , tomorrow, it could be the sea ”
The shutdown of the South plant site, except for the Prony Energies plant, is a blow to the staff. Only 310 employees are currently preserving the plant’s facilities. The representatives of the employees, with the exception of that of the USTKE (Union Syndicale des Travailleurs Kanaks et des exploited), expressed their anguish on 20 December to the Minister of Overseas Territories Sébastien Lecornu. “Today, I am psychologically exhausted. We have reached a point where we do not feel at all safe and alone in the face of events, ”says Sonia, 22 years old and employed by a direct subcontractor of Vale.
The fact remains that since the beginning of December, video meetings have followed one another with the State and, according to Victor Tutugoro, the “minister shows his good will”. “In parallel with this crisis, there are still discussions around the process of decolonization. We have blocked them because as long as we are not out of this conflict, we cannot have the serene spirit to deal with other questions. Especially on a subject as crucial as independence, ”says Victor Tutugoro. And the one who is also vice-president of the North Province concluded: “We have reached such a point that, referendum or not, we want to make ourselves heard and save our country. Today we are talking about nickel, but tomorrow it could be the sea. And if we are not heard, we can raise our voice again. “
