French President Emmanuel Macron called Wednesday for resuming political dialogue in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia after spiraling violence.
The French Presidency said a statement that this came during a Defense and National Security Council meeting Macron convened to discuss protests in New Caledonia.
The president has requested a decree aimed at declaring a state of emergency after at least three people were killed amid violent protests that erupted over the passage of a constitutional reform that angered pro-independence forces, added the statement.
The unrest flared after French lawmakers approved a bill extending voting rights in provincial elections to residents arriving from mainland France, a change critics fear could marginalize indigenous people and benefit pro-France politicians.
Source: Kuwait News Agency