Visit by president intended to quell serious unrest over plans in Paris to expand voting eligibility to include more French nationals
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has arrived in New Caledonia in an urgent attempt to calm tensions in the French Pacific territory, after more than a week of riots, which have left six dead.
The unrest was 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.
