Kanak independence supporter accuses France of blocking self-determination

New Caledonian political activist, a supporter of independence from France, Rock Haocas, has accused France of depriving Kanaks of the right to determine their own future.

In an interview with Bakinsky Rabochiy, the international coordinator of the Union of Kanak Workers and the Exploited, said New Caledonia remains officially on the UN list of territories to be decolonised, Caliber.Az reports.

According to Haocas, this means that the question of his country’s future is not an internal matter of France, as the French authorities try to present it.

“Under international law, France is obliged not to obstruct the self-determination process but to accompany it, remaining a neutral party and ensuring conditions for the free expression of the people’s will. However, the problem is precisely that Paris has long ceased to be a neutral actor and has effectively become a party to the conflict, openly defending its own geopolitical and economic interests in the Pacific,” Haocas noted.

An active figure in New Caledonia’s national liberation movement stated that the “cynicism” of the situation lies in the fact that France, while displaying partiality and allegedly violating the spirit of the Nouméa Accord, simultaneously accuses other countries—including Azerbaijan—of interference whenever the issue of Kanaky is raised in international forums.

“This reaction from Paris only confirms how painfully the French leadership perceives the very fact of international discussion of the colonial issue,” he stressed.

Haocas emphasised that for them, “decolonisation is not a matter of political bargaining. It is a right enshrined in international law.”

He added that the United Nations should not limit itself to formal statements but should actively accompany the Kanak people throughout the process.

In his view, international involvement is essential to restrain pressure and attempts to impose a future not chosen by the Kanak people themselves.

The activist said Kanaks continue to work within various UN structures to ensure international assessment of what he described as crimes and repression following the events of May 2024.

“In particular, the Committee Against Torture has already criticised France’s actions related to harsh security measures and the treatment of independence activists. For us, this is extremely important, because Paris has long tried to present itself as a model of humanism and the rule of law, while at the same time applying methods in Kanaky that increasingly resemble classical colonial practices of suppressing dissent. We are also continuing efforts to ensure that the New Caledonia issue is examined by the International Court of Justice, as we believe that the violations committed by the French authorities require not only a political but also an international legal assessment,” he said.

According to Haocas, the events of May 2024 reflect a deep political crisis rooted in France’s colonial policy, which he said has long been disguised as respect for democracy and human rights while denying indigenous people the right to decide their own future.

He claimed the unrest was triggered by Paris’s attempt to alter the electoral balance by artificially expanding the voter base with non-indigenous French residents.

“The French state fully understood what it was doing: this was a deliberate political operation aimed at diluting the Kanak vote and ultimately burying the prospect of independence,” he explained.

Haocas further argued that France is systematically pursuing a policy of demographic pressure, reducing the influence of the indigenous population while increasing the number of voters loyal to Paris.

He said independence activists had warned about the consequences of such policies, including at an international conference organised by the Baku Initiative Group at the UN office in Vienna in April 2024.

Haocas also expressed gratitude to the Baku Initiative Group for what he described as consistent efforts in support of people fighting against modern forms of colonialism, saying its conferences help bring global attention to Kanaky and connect different liberation movements facing similar challenges.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov