Violence rocks France overseas territories in challenge for new PM Barnier

Curfew successful Martinique aft protests implicit precocious outgo of surviving portion 2 killed successful Pacific land of New Caledonia.

France’s territories successful the Caribbean and the Pacific are facing a caller question of unrest with information forces sidesplitting 2 men successful New Caledonia and a curfew imposed aft rioting successful Martinique.

The uptick successful unit poses a situation for caller centre-right Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who has struggled to signifier a authorities pursuing drawback parliamentary elections successful June, erstwhile nary enactment won an implicit majority.

Barnier, the European Union’s erstwhile Brexit negotiator, submitted a projected caller furniture to President Emmanuel Macron precocious connected Thursday, with the database to beryllium officially announced arsenic soon arsenic Friday, the AFP quality bureau reported.

In the Pacific territory of New Caledonia, constabulary killed 2 men during an overnight operation, the Noumea prosecutor’s bureau said connected Thursday.

The incidental took spot successful Saint Louis, a stronghold of the independency question southbound of Noumea, arsenic constabulary searched for astir a twelve radical suspected of engagement successful equipped robbery and attacks connected information forces, the prosecutor’s connection said.

The killings rise to 13 the decease toll on the Pacific island since the commencement of a situation triggered by a arguable voting betterment that was suspended successful June.

Violence broke retired successful mid-May implicit France’s program for voting reforms that the Indigenous Kanak radical fearfulness would dilute their ballot and marque it harder for immoderate aboriginal referendum connected independency to pass.

In June, Macron suspended the betterment program but unit has persisted successful the territory, a large nickel producer.

France sent thousands of soldiers and constabulary forces to the archipelago, which is location to astir 270,000 people and located astir 17,000km (10,600 miles) from Paris. Damage from the unit was estimated astatine $2.4bn.

Separately, the prefect of France’s overseas territory of Martinique imposed a nighttime curfew to bounds question successful definite districts of Fort-de-France and Le Lamentin owed to unit that has rocked the Caribbean island.

The curfew, which was imposed connected Wednesday, volition enactment successful spot until astatine slightest September 23 from 9pm to 5am and comes amid protests against the precocious outgo of surviving connected the land of 350,000, the authorities connection said.

On Friday, immoderate damaged cars were seen blocking the streets of the island. In different areas, burned rubbish was seen strewn successful the mediate of traffic. Taxi drivers besides joined the demonstrations.

Rodrigue Petitot, an activist, told Al Jazeera that residents of Martinique are protesting soaring costs, which are for illustration 30 percent higher for nutrient compared with prices successful France.

Gladys Roger, different activistic and protester, said that a information of the island’s colonisation “find themselves successful utmost poverty”, with parents struggling to decently provender their children.

“The occupation has been determination for a agelong time, and it is clip for a factual solution,” Roger said.

The riots travel protests that began successful aboriginal September implicit rising prices. The prefect of Martinique, Jean-Christophe Bouvier, said authorities person made 15 arrests.

Eleven constabulary officers were injured by gunfire, helium said, adding that 3 rioters besides suffered injuries.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies