Christian Tein offers France a successful decolonization in New Caledonia
Christian Tein, president of the FLNKS, stated he is offering France a historic opportunity to succeed in decolonizing New Caledonia. Meanwhile, the prosecutor's office opposes his return to the territory. These statements come amid ongoing tensions over independence.
On October 2, 2025, Christian Tein, president of the Front de libération nationale kanak et socialiste (FLNKS), gave an interview to Le Monde from France, where he is currently staying. He stated: 'We offer France the possibility to succeed in a decolonization for once in its history.' Tein, a key figure in the Kanak independence movement, is thus proposing a way to resolve the status of New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in Oceania.
This statement comes as the public prosecutor's office in Noumea firmly opposes Tein's return to New Caledonia. According to the same day's Le Monde article, judicial authorities argue that his repatriation could disrupt public order, due to his alleged links to violent events in 2024 during unrest over a proposed electoral law. Tein, charged with criminal association aimed at organized crime, had been evacuated to France for medical reasons after his arrest in May 2024.
The FLNKS, an independence coalition, has campaigned for decades for New Caledonia's self-determination, listed as a non-self-governing territory by the UN since 1986. The three self-determination referendums held between 2018 and 2021 saw victory for the 'no' to independence, but with massive abstention among Kanaks, the indigenous population making up about 40% of residents. Tein emphasizes a negotiated decolonization, stressing that 'France has a unique chance to turn the page on its colonial history.'
The prosecutor's office highlights serious charges against Tein and other independence leaders involved in the May 2024 riots, which caused dozens of deaths and billions of euros in damage. No date is set for a possible return, and negotiations on the territory's status remain stalled since the cancellation of the planned December 2024 referendum.
This situation highlights the deep divides in New Caledonia, between pro-French loyalists and Kanak independentists, in an archipelago rich in nickel but marked by socio-economic inequalities.