Macron says troops will remain for as long as necessary as he arrives in New Caledonia
Visit by president intended to quell serious unrest over plans in Paris to expand voting eligibility to include more French nationals
French security forces will remain in New Caledonia as long as necessary, Emmanuel Macron has said, after France’s president arrived in the Pacific territory in an urgent attempt to calm tensions after more than a week of riots that have left six dead.
Macron was due on Thursday to hold a day of talks aiming to turn the page on deadly riots, sparked by anger among Indigenous Kanak people over constitutional changes backed by Paris that would give voting rights to tens of thousands of non-Indigenous residents. Local leaders fear the change will dilute the Kanak vote and undermine longstanding efforts to secure independence.