French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with a policeman upon his arrival at the central police station in Noumea,New Caledonia,on Thursday.Credit:AP
He said that his wish,along with that of his ministers and the government,was “to be alongside the people and see a return to peace,calm and security as soon as possible”.
Macron added he plans to meet local officials and discuss the resources needed to repair the damage wrought by days of shootings,arson and other violence that has left at least six people dead and a broad trail of destruction estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“We will discuss questions of economic reconstruction,support and rapid response,and the most delicate political questions,as we talk about the future of New Caledonia,” he said. “By the end of the day,decisions will be taken and announcements will be made.”
When asked by a reporter whether he thought a 12-hour visit was enough,Macron responded:“We will see. I don’t have a limit.”
As he opened a meeting with local leaders,Macron held a moment of silence for the people who lost their lives in the unrest before touching on the steps his government plans to take. Officials from both pro-independence and loyalist factions were present,according to a list of attendees provided by the Elysee presidential office.
Macron said 3000 security officers had been deployed to the French overseas territory. They will stay as long as necessary,he said,even if that means remaining there during the Olympic and Paralympic Games that Paris and other parts of France will host starting in late July.