in New Caledonia, bosses denounce destruction by rioters

Nearly 300 businesses were destroyed, according to the New Caledonia traders’ union. Officials fear lasting consequences on the economy of the archipelago and denounce counterproductive actions.

The curfew remains in force but Emmanuel Macron has lifted the state of emergency in New Caledonia, to promote dialogue with the separatists. After two weeks of violence on the archipelago, we are still far from a return to normal. Fires, looting, ransacking… Businesses were particularly targeted by the rioters and owners fear disastrous consequences for the local economy.

Didier fumes and spins like a caged lion in his opulent villa in downtown Nouméa, with breathtaking views of the sea. Since May 13, his neighborhood has been closed by a roadblock manned 24 hours a day by residents. This Caledonian “Caldoche” of European origin has lived here since he was little. He was successful in textiles.

His stores have either been burned or looted and his rage has not abated. “It’s not possible for it to go down again, it’s my whole life that they’ve ruined. They’ve destroyed about fifteen jobs. In euros, that’s around 4 million euros of loss For me, it’s the fruit of 50 years of work that has gone up in smoke. It’s young people who only want to pillage, burn, trash. They don’t want any more. White people.”

Will the insurance response be up to par? ? What about partial unemployment? ? Ronan Daly, whose stores were ransacked before his eyes, wonders. Eight jobs lost out of 25. The losses will be astronomical, deplores the president of the New Caledonia traders’ union.

He estimates that “nearly 300 businesses were destroyed. 3 000 jobs may already be affected by the crisis we are experiencing. And this is without highlighting the enormous problem that we could experience with mines :3 000 direct jobs, 8 000 jobs generated. This is honestly an unprecedented crisis.”assures Ronan Dely.

According to him, the separatists have “missed their shot” because “we have never needed France so much”. It’s also a hard blow for Raphaël, employed in the construction industry. This Kanak does not know if his business, inaccessible because it is located in one of the red-light districts of Nouméa, is still standing. He accepts the struggle for independence, but not like that.

“There, it’s no longer a fight, it’s downright massive destruction that they are causing.”

Raphaël, construction worker

at franceinfo

“We are destroying all jobs and we don’t even know where we are going to go now. No salary there, it will be hard to get back on our feet”deplores Raphaël.

“It’s an evil for a good”, respond the young people who man one of the roadblocks in Rivière Salée, a working-class district of Nouméa. These destructions are only the beginning if the text of the law on the thawing of the electorate is not withdrawn. “The little brothers are phase two or three, but if phase four arrives, there it’s the big brother and it’s not the same thingexplains one of the men on the roadblock. Phase four, quite simply, is worse than that but while respecting people. It’s material. We are here to show that we do not agree with this text.” We are still far from the appeasement desired by Emmanuel Macron.