Five individuals wanted by French authorities have surrendered in besieged New Caledonia’s pro-independence stronghold of Saint Louis.
The village, which is part of the town of Mont-Dore, near the capital Nouméa, had been blockaded by French security forces, which had banned the neighbouring provincial road to traffic by installing two checkpoints, effectively blockading the Saint Louis tribe.
Since violent riots broke out on 13 May, the nearby road had become too dangerous for motorists and dozens of drivers had since been carjacked.
The suspects also face charges for “murder attempts” on law enforcement officers, “theft involving the use of weapons”, Nouméa Public Prosecutor Yves Dupas said in a statement on Monday.
In August, in an earlier attempt to arrest individuals suspected of charges including arson on the Saint Louis catholic mission, and in response to gunshots directed at them, French gendarmes killed one Kanak, Victorin Rock Wamytan.
On 19 September, in another attempt, two more young Kanaks, Samuel Moekia and Johan Kaidine, died in similar circumstances, reviving tension in the village, which is regarded as a pro-independence stronghold.
As police and gendarmes said they were determined to carry out further arrests on all the remaining suspects, French authorities said they were still in the process of negotiating with the help of tribal local leaders.
They earlier said following the two recent deaths and their funeral at the weekend, they had decided to allow more time for negotiations.
On 21 September, another 19-year-old Kanak surrendered.
“The cycle of violence must stop. Otherwise, history will just keep repeating itself”, local chief Adolphe Moyatea said.
But the main objective was the re-opening of the neighbouring road, which effectively links Nouméa to the South of the main island and currently isolates Mont-Dore inhabitants (who have to resort to sea ferries to go to Nouméa).
“Of course we are favouring and are seeking by every means their surrender in order to avoid further loss of lives, but it’s really difficult (…) Those young men have to come back to reason, they have to choose life rather than death.
“We can’t wait for much longer, the road must be re-opened”, Gendarmeries Commander, General Nicolas Matthéos, said at the weekend.
Dupas on Monday acknowledged the traditional chiefly authorities’ role who have called on the wanted individuals to stop the confrontational approach with law enforcement agencies and to come forward to explain themselves in front of investigators”.
Dupas said investigations on those cases were ongoing “with objectivity and impartiality”.
At the weekend, pro-independence Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) called on French law enforcement agencies to hold any further intervention on Saint Louis, fearing more “bloodshed” and to allow more time for negotiations with the wanted suspects to come to fruition.
In other parts of New Caledonia, roadblocks have mostly been removed by a currently estimated six-thousand-strong law enforcement contingent flown in from France.
But suspected arsons are still taking place sporadically.
The insurrection-like riots and events that erupted on 13 May have so far caused 13 deaths (including nine civilians and two gendarmes), the destruction of at least eight hundred businesses, the loss of over twenty thousand jobs and a total figure of €2.2 billion (US$2.45 billion) in damages.
A bipartisan delegation is currently in Paris to convince the French government to fund a “recovery” and a “reconstruction” five-year plan for a total of €4.1billion (US$4.56 billion), so the local economy can rebuild itself.
