PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron has landed in riot-hit New Caledonia, having crossed the globe by plane from Paris in a high-profile show of support for the French Pacific archipelago wracked by deadly unrest and where Indigenous people have long sought independence from France.
He is expected to thank French security forces that have been battling to restore order, with more than 1,000 reinforcements rushed in and a state of emergency declared last week from Paris to boost their powers. The rioting has raised new questions about Macron’s handling of France’s colonial legacy, including on the islands some 16,000 kilometers from metropolitan France. There have been decades of tensions between the Kanaks and descendants of colonists and others who settled in the territory of 270,000 people and want to remain part of France.
Macron left France on Tuesday evening and is expected to land on Thursday morning in New Caledonia. The presidential Elysee Palace said he will focus on restoring order and facilitating dialogue among local leaders.
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