by Tusi Tala, Staff Writer
Following a meeting between President Macron and New Caledonia’s French Parliamentarians in Paris, the French Pacific archipelago announced a relaxation of its curfew hours on Friday. The dusk-to-dawn curfew, originally imposed after violent civil unrest on May 13, will now be in effect from 10 pm to 5 am starting on Monday, July 29, according to a statement by French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc.
The decision to adjust the curfew hours came after a bipartisan delegation of all four elected members from New Caledonia met with President Macron in the French National Assembly and Senate on Thursday. During the meeting, they requested special assistance from Paris, particularly in terms of financial aid to support New Caledonia’s recovery from the extensive damage caused by the unrest, estimated at 2.2 billion Euros to date. This assistance is crucial as approximately 20,000 individuals have lost their jobs as a result of the crisis.
The meeting held in Paris on Thursday also supported the idea of advancing the normalization of the situation to achieve full restoration of law and order, along with providing special aid to severely impacted health services.
There are discussions about organizing a gathering in Paris in September that would involve all political factions in New Caledonia, including those who support France and those who advocate for independence. The aim of this proposed meeting is to reestablish dialogue with the goal of reaching a bipartisan and inclusive agreement, as well as outlining a roadmap for the long-term political future of New Caledonia.