New Caledonia

Paris investigating judges ordered a general dismissal of charges in favor of independence leader Christian Tein and CCAT militants, two years after the 2024 riots in New Caledonia. The Paris prosecution immediately appealed the ruling.

February 23, 2026 An Ruwaito ta hanyar AI

The body of a 55-year-old windsurfer, victim of a shark attack, was discovered on Sunday, February 22, in a bay in Nouméa, New Caledonia. Anse-Vata beach was evacuated to allow rescue operations, with authorities calling for caution. The incident follows heavy rains, which increase the risk of sharks near the coasts.

Before the National Assembly's law committee, Overseas Territories Minister Naïma Moutchou acknowledged the failure of an expert mission to New Caledonia. She delayed plans for an early consultation of New Caledonians set for March 2026. The measure aims to bolster the Bougival agreement, which faces opposition from various political groups.

December 08, 2025 An Ruwaito ta hanyar AI

New Caledonia's Congress voted on December 8 without a clear majority on the proposed anticipated consultation regarding the July-signed Bougival agreement. The session highlighted the ongoing deadlock in the Caledonian issue, four years after the Nouméa Agreement referendums concluded. Kanak independentists protested against the French government's initiative.

The Front de libération nationale kanak et socialiste (FLNKS) held a rally in Nouméa on October 31, 2025, to protest the Bougival agreement ahead of the new overseas minister's arrival. Only 220 people attended, far from the massive 2024 mobilizations. The movement hopes to move past this agreement, whose name was removed from a parliamentary text on postponing provincial elections.

October 29, 2025 An Ruwaito ta hanyar AI

The French Parliament has approved the postponement of provincial elections in New Caledonia, originally set for November, to June 28, 2026 at the latest. This decision, passed by the National Assembly on October 28 and the Senate on October 29, represents a first step toward resuming debates on a sensitive institutional reform. It comes amid the May 2024 violence and the fragile Bougival agreement, rejected by independentists.