French authorities regain full control of New Caledonia’s capital after days of deadly unrest

By The Associated Press

The French interior minister says French authorities in New Caledonia have regained full control of their Pacific territory’s capital after two weeks of unrest that left seven people dead. Gerald Darmanin said Friday in a post on X that “a major police operation has taken place successfully” in the last area of Noumea that was under the protesters’ control. New Caledonia has had decades of tensions between those seeking independence and France loyalists. The violence flared on May 13 in response to attempts by the Paris government to amend the French Constitution and change voting lists in New Caledonia. France declared a state of emergency on May 15 and rushed in hundreds of troop reinforcements to help police.