Australians have been warned to re-think their travel plans as a state of emergency continues in New Caledonia.
Civil unrest which began on Thursday has forced French authorities to introduce a curfew and close the international airport, a move which has left some holidaying Australians trapped in the destination.
Two nights of rioting has left four dead and hundreds wounded after France’s national assembly backed hotly disputed changes to voting rolls that Indigenous leaders in New Caledonia say will dilute their vote, according to a report on SBS News.
Troops have been deployed to guard the airport and local ports following the worst violence the territory has seen since the 1980s. Some 200 people have been arrested, including four alleged instigators of the unrest.
Looting has been reported and public buildings torched during the violence. Around 100 police and soldiers are among those who have been injured, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said.
“The government has also increased the overall level of advice for New Caledonia and now advises travellers to exercise a high degree of caution,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Thursday.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said the situation in New Caledonia was now “grave” but that the government priority was to “restore calm” so that a dialogue could be established.
