Man killed by police in New Caledonia as unrest continues after Macron visit
A 48-year-old man was killed on Friday after attacking police in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, prosecutors said. Seven people have now died in unrest that continues as President Emmanuel Macron travels back to mainland France after holding talks with pro- and anti-independence figures.
The spate of violence in New Caledonia has left seven people dead and hundreds more wounded. It's been accompanied by a series of shootings as well as arson attacks and looting.
A police officer and his colleague were on Friday "physically attacked by a group of some 15 individuals" in Dumbéa just outside the capital Nouméa, forcing him to draw his weapon, prosecutor Yves Dupas said.
The officer who fired the shots was taken into custody.
A move to revamp voting rights in the South Pacific archipelago, giving thousands more people the right to cast ballots, has caused civil disorder.
As part of efforts to ease the tension, Macron rearranged his schedule to make the 16,000 kilometre journey from Paris.
Macron, who arrived on Thursday, laid out a roadmap that he said could lead to another referendum for the French territory.
He said he wanted local leaders to come up with an alternate agreement for New Caledonia's future.
"I have pledged that this reform won't be pushed through with force in the current context and that we are giving ourselves a few weeks to allow for calm, the resumption of dialogue, with a view to a global agreement," he said.
On Friday, La Tontouta International Airport, about 50 kilometres from the capital Noumea, remained closed along with schools and colleges.
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