Since the start of the riots in New Caledonia, the violence had already left six dead: two gendarmes, including one in an accidental shooting, three Kanak (natives) and a Caldoche (Caledonian of European origin). None, apart from the accidental death, could be attributed until then to the police. But this Friday, a man was killed by a police officer. 20 minutes takes stock of this seventh death, while Emmanuel Macron, in an interview with local media, made it known that the Caillou should not become “the Wild West”.
What do we know about the seventh victim of the riots?
For the first time, this is a person killed by a member of the police. The victim is a 48-year-old man, Nouméa prosecutor Yves Dupas announced this Friday.
What happened ?
While they were traveling in Dumbéa, a commune in Greater Nouméa which houses the Médipôle, a territorial hospital center, two police officers were “physically attacked by a group of around fifteen individuals” and one of them made use of his weapon. “In circumstances that remain to be determined, the official would have used his service weapon by firing a shot to escape this physical altercation,” said Yves Dupas.
The events took place this Friday around 3:15 p.m. (local time), while police officers were traveling towards the Médipôle hospital center.
What are the first elements of the investigation?
The investigations will be carried out “with all the objectivity and impartiality necessary to reveal the truth”, underlined the prosecutor. The police officer, “on whom traces of blows were noted”, was placed in police custody and the prosecution opened an investigation for “intentional homicide by a person holding public authority”.
Where is the crisis after the departure of Emmanuel Macron?
“The situation today remains extremely fragile in New Caledonia, a little thing can cause it to falter,” said Gabriel Attal in Maisons-Alfort (Val-de-Marne), during a ceremony in tribute to the two gendarmes killed during the violence.
Since they began on May 13, the riots have caused considerable damage in the French territory of the South Pacific. The state of emergency established on May 16 continues to prevail there: nighttime curfew, ban on gatherings, transport of weapons and sale of alcohol, ban on the TikTok application.
And several roadblocks set up by the rioters remain in place even if “clearing operations are progressing” on the roads and “around a hundred roadblocks have been neutralized,” reported the High Commission of the Republic. “As long as there is no independence, there will be no security,” warned a 51-year-old activist manning a roadblock in a northern district of Nouméa, on condition of anonymity.
+ information on New Caledonia
The Bank of New Caledonia also announced the reopening on Friday of five of its 18 branches – three of them had been set on fire. Some 3,000 police officers and gendarmes still participate in securing the archipelago, “supported by more than 130 personnel from the Raid and the GIGN”, the elite police and gendarmerie units, according to the High Commission. As for La Tontouta airport, it will remain closed to commercial flights until Tuesday.