French President Decides Not to Renew State of Emergency in New Caledonia

Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron has decided not to renew the state of emergency that has been in effect in New Caledonia for ten days, which expires Tuesday, the French Presidency (Elysee) announced Monday. The Elysee explained in a statement that Macron renews his "confidence in the ability of elected officials to restore dialogue," stressing the de-escalation process he proposed to elected officials in New Caledonia. It added that Macron called on the people of Caledonia and their representatives to "find a way for dialogue," especially since the mediation and facilitation mission located in the capital, Noumea, is ready to work with elected officials to reach a general agreement. The statement noted that 480 additional gendarmes will be sent to the archipelago "in the next few hours," bringing security reinforcements to more than 3,500. Eight people were killed, hundreds were arrested, and large numbers of buildings and cars were destroyed during two weeks of unrest and protests that broke out this month in New Caledonia when the French legislative council in Paris discussed amending the French constitution to make changes to the voter lists in New Caledonia. Source: Qatar News Agency