On June 4, 2024, in the town of Païta, a new victim of the crisis in Nouméa was reported. One of the two men who were shot by gendarmes on Monday, June 3 in New Caledonia succumbed to his injuries on Friday, bringing the total number of deaths to eight since the unrest began in the archipelago. The two men, who were part of a group that opened fire on gendarmes, were shot by the officers north of Nouméa, according to the prosecutor Yves Dupas. The person who died on Friday was a 26-year-old man from the Pirogue Pass, who was shot in the head with a ballistic projectile.
The news of the death was announced by Louis Mapou, the independentist president of the government of New Caledonia, during a televised address on Saturday. He expressed his condolences, mentioning that the deceased was from Païta and had ancestral ties to a prominent chiefdom. The security operations by law enforcement on the island will continue, as the Republic’s High Commission announced that the curfew imposed from 6 PM to 6 AM was extended until June 17. Restrictions on gatherings, sale and transport of weapons, and alcohol sales were also extended until that date.
The incident took place in the area of Pirogue Pass in Païta, a strategic point on the road from Nouméa to the international airport that had been blocked by the independentists for an extended period. The gendarmes claimed that they used their firearms after their rental car was hit by a pickup truck, prompting an “action of response.” The Coordination Cell of Field Actions (CCAT), a collective created to mobilize against electoral reform, provided a different version of events, accusing militia groups of firing real bullets at youth positioned near the road while authorities cleared the area.
Since the beginning of the crisis and riots in New Caledonia on May 13, eight people have been killed, including two gendarmes. In the midst of this tense situation, the European elections are set to take place, with voting locations in Nouméa being consolidated to six secure venues instead of 37. These polling places will open an hour earlier than usual at 7 AM on Sunday. Louis Mapou highlighted the need to address the escalating violence in Nouvelle-Calédonie and urged for a new approach to the institutional future of the territory, calling for a reevaluation of the current political and social conditions.
During his address, Louis Mapou emphasized that the current situation was no longer sustainable as the population was suffering the most from the ongoing unrest. He criticized the measured response by the independentist parties and the constant escalation by loyalist leaders, contributing to the existing climate of violence. Mapu called on President Macron and the Parliament to acknowledge the constitutionality of the current law in New Caledonia, which he deemed incompatible with the territory’s history, making it unlikely to hold provincial elections by the end of 2024. He urged for a clearer vision and a comprehensive agreement on the future of the region’s institutions.
