PARIS (AP) — The number of reported violent incidents in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia fell slightly Friday, a day after France declared a state of emergency as 1,000 promised security reinforcements were deployed with greater powers to tackle unrest in the region to suppress. archipelago that has long sought independence.
The highest French official in the area, High Commissioner Louis Le Franc, announced strict measures on Friday under the presidential state of emergency. Emmanuel Macron. Due to serious disruptions to public order, a curfew now applies from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The curfew was extended for the duration of the state of emergency, which will last at least eleven days. French forces were deployed to protect ports and airports and free up police forces.
“Exceptions to this curfew include essential public workers, emergency medical travel and critical nighttime activities,” Le Franc said.
He said violations of the curfew would result in penalties of up to six months in prison and a fine, and urged everyone to follow the regulations and help restore order.
There have been decades of tension on the archipelago between indigenous Kanaks seeking independence and descendants of settlers who want to remain part of France.
Clashes broke out on Monday after protests over voting reforms passed in the National Assembly in Paris. Lawmakers approved changes to the French constitution, led by President Emmanuel Macron’s government, that will allow residents who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years to vote in provincial elections.
Thierry de Greslan, a representative of the hospital in Noumea, the territory’s capital, expressed concern about the deteriorating situation, exacerbated by roadblocks in the city.
De Greslan, chairman of the medical committee of the Territorial Hospital Center of Noumea, said: “We estimate that three or four people may have died due to a lack of access to medical care,” adding that about 50 dialysis patients were unable to receive their treatments to get. . “We are having great difficulty getting our patients and healthcare workers in. The teams have been working since Monday and are exhausted.”
Emergency room visits have dropped significantly, with a 50% drop recently and an 80% drop on Thursday. “We are in an urban guerrilla situation with gunshot wounds at night,” De Greslan said.
The hospital’s operating rooms are open 24 hours a day, and while staff are prepared for immediate crises, De Greslan expressed concerns about the future. “We are ready to face this, but I worry about the ‘rebound’ effect on patients who are not currently receiving care and who are extremely stressed,” he noted.
French authorities in New Caledonia and the Interior Ministry in Paris said five people, including two police officers, were killed following protests earlier this week.
At least 60 members of the security forces were injured and 214 people arrested over clashes with police, arson and looting on Thursday, Le Franc said.
Two members of the Kanak community were among the five killed.
Leaders of a Kanak workers’ union in Paris called for calm, saying they were deeply saddened by the deaths in their distant homeland.
