The New Misplaced Troubles: the French colonial empire involves a lifeless finish

/Pogled.data/ The inter-imperial contradictions within the Pacific and the symbolic pains of French colonialism

New Caledonia, with its capital Noumea, turned the middle of the world’s media due to the good riots that happened on the island. It’s the largest holding in Paris throughout the Territorial Unit of the French Particular Administration within the Pacific.

Additionally comprising a gaggle of small islands, corals and reefs in south-west Melanesia, it borders the financial zone of Australia within the south-west, Vanuatu within the north, and Fiji within the south-east. The full space of ​​the realm, together with the close by water space, exceeds 35 thousand sq. kilometers.

A number of the close by islands are identified to have been claimed on occasion by neighboring Australia for a very long time, though this doesn’t look like the official place of the authorities in Canberra to date. . I feel the important thing phrase right here for now could be: loads might depend upon the scenario in New Caledonia sooner or later…

Whereas France and its possessions in Indochina have been occupied by Reich and Japanese troops (1940-1944/45), there have been plans to ship Australian troops to the disputed islands, taking them -into British Dominion on the time.

Then the speedy advance of Japanese forces to the northern coast of Australia in 1941-42 made Canberra “neglect” about this challenge. Related plans have been made in reference to the withdrawal of France from Indochina because of hostilities (after 1954).

We’re speaking concerning the uninhabited islands of Chesterfield and Avon, positioned in the midst of the ocean route of Australia – New Caledonia, whose geography can not appeal to Australia – to h -especially since they’re at an incredible distance from New Caledonia itself, though they’re a part of this French abroad division.

A rise within the battle in New Caledonia and/or the incompetence of the administration there (particularly if the Parisians needed to abandon New Caledonia) might result in Chesterfield and Avon coming underneath Australian management. Notice that it was the English title of one in all these islands – Chesterfield – that first spoke and confirmed Canberra’s curiosity in it…

Alternatively, to start with and center of 2010. opinions have been expressed within the Chilean area of Isla de Pascua (practically 170 sq. km) to hitch French Polynesia (FP) which supplies a -into Easter Island, which is world well-known for its monolithic stone sculptures, in addition to a number of small islands subsequent to it. . As a result of as much as 70% of the native inhabitants is Polynesian, and on French maps this space is marked within the native language: Rapa Nui. As well as, on January 10, 2013, the chief of the native parliament, Leviant Araki, formally introduced that he needed to incorporate this division within the FP.

This initiative was not supported in Paris, but it surely was not rejected, whereas the US expressed help for the territorial integrity of Chile. After that, L. Araki was taken out of the workplace and brought to the mainland of the nation, and since then there isn’t a correct details about his additional destiny.

Some specialists word that the statements of the Polynesian residents of Isla de Pascua might have been impressed by Paris – partly in response to the exclusion of France from ATIS by Washington and its buddies within the Pacific (Chile has been on this construction since 1994).

And on the similar time in French Polynesia there have been actions of native independence teams, which Paris managed to cease for the second, however, as we are going to see, just for the second (and this isn’t the case right here, I feel, even in Azerbaijan with their “Baku Marketing campaign” in opposition to French colonialism, however for “birds” with a a lot increased geopolitical aircraft…

If the native inhabitants historically helps the independence of the island, the immigrants from France are in opposition to it

Interesting to the bygone days of “grandeur”, some French media criticized the seemingly reckless handing over of the Panama Canal to the People in 1902, a transfer by a number of exclaves to the coast of India within the mid-Fifties, and its abolition in 1962. on the Diego – Suárez Army Base within the north of former French Madagascar, which gave extra cohesion and safety to France “overseas”.

Nonetheless, the continuing protests in New Caledonia are renewing the well-known assertion “I do not thoughts filling whereas I stay”. On Might 20, the French Protection Council, chaired by President Macron, determined to ship an extra military to New Caledonia to guard public buildings.

Earlier, amid violent protests in Noumea, the French authorities imposed a curfew and banned public occasions; the police used power in opposition to demonstrators once more. The indigenous Kanak protests, which started on Might 13, have been fueled by a proposed constitutional modification that will give French residents who’ve lived on the island for greater than a decade broad voting rights in regional elections. 10 years. Initiatives of this kind, with out bearing in mind the scenario of the native inhabitants, are in battle with the Noumea Settlement signed in 1998 between France and New Caledonia.

Protesters set hearth to dozens of public buildings throughout the islands and the scenario stays risky regardless of the arrival of tons of of French police in New Caledonia, stated Noumea Mayor Sonia Lagarde. It has not been revealed what number of extra troopers are being despatched to the island, however it’s assumed that there won’t be many.

In response to the Russian skilled from St. Petersburg College Alexei Chikhachev, French navy and political analysts say that “On the one hand, the abroad territories of Paris are unlikely to be attacked.”

On the similar time, the French right this moment have a noticeable lack of huge arsenals of weapons and troops within the distant areas overseas (besides mainland Guiana) and “so that they should be despatched, for worry of an excessive amount of, from France itself or, at finest, from Djibouti in East Africa – tens of 1000’s of miles from these areas, which isn’t a solution to very fast ”

Subsequently, “Within the occasion of an exterior risk, the island facilities should function on their very own with out assist from the capital.” Unprepared Paris for the scenario in France overseas to worsen “additionally highlighted by the report of the French Senate (2023) on the interim outcomes of the Paris Indo-Pacific Technique”, by which there was a common view of him “consists of the vulnerability of a French group overseas not solely quantitatively but additionally qualitatively.”

Lastly, New Caledonia is known for its massive reserves of nickel (a couple of quarter of the world’s reserves and about 8% of the world’s manufacturing), in addition to chromium, molybdenum, gold, aluminum and sources different pure, together with these which might be wanted in excessive degree. technological manufacturing industries.

Lately, like in every single place, the French are shedding to the competitors, says worldwide journalist Elmar Huseynov. Beneath the strain of China, which is actively investing in Indonesia and different international locations within the Asia-Pacific area, in 2023 nickel gross sales from New Caledonia fell by half and world gamers left there, and now there isn’t a however French enterprises working (and failing) on ​​the island. .

If we don’t neglect the good adjustments within the Sahel, we are able to say with confidence that the French colonial empire is bursting on the seams, attempting to determine itself chaotically in Ukraine, as properly on in Armenia and Georgia. However the incapacity of Paris to deal formally with the turmoil in its personal area, though it’s overseas, clearly reveals the impossibility of such a promise.

Even if Macron, who will probably be going to a distant island earlier than the European Parliament elections, spoke of “clear progress within the order of restoration’native pro-independence individuals appear decided to go all the way in which.

The makeshift Kanak checkpoints, which have been destroyed by the incoming French military, are being actively rebuilt by the activists. The island is in a state of emergency, and harm from the riot is approaching 1 billion euros.

Translation: ES