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French Forces Launch 'Major Operation' To Open Route To Noumea

Mon, May 20 - Noumea - The access to Montravel is still blocked by rioters, posing a significant challenge for law enforcement. Officials said more than 600 heavily armed gendarmes were dispatched to secure Route Territoriale 1, the main artery connecting the restive capital with air links to the outside world. Furthermore, plans for the Olympic torch relay to pass through the French territory were cancelled on Saturday. The flame had been scheduled to arrive on June 11 but French Sports Minister Amélie Oudea-Castera said that "priority must be given to a return to calm" in the territory. Six people have been killed and hundreds injured since rioting began on Monday, according to local authorities. The violence has been fuelled by economic malaise, ethnic tensions and long-standing opposition to French rule on the Pacific archipelago. Photo by Gill Chabaud/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Situation in New Caledonia - Noumea

Remnants of burnt-out vehicles blocking the roads between Porte de Fer and Montravel in Noumea, New Caledonia, on May 19, 2024. Photo by Gill Chabaud/ABACAPRESS.com

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Situation in New Caledonia - Noumea

View of the entrance to Montravel via the VDE, where burnt vehicles blocking access held by rioters can be seen. On the left side of the photo, the Le Froid company, burned on the first night of the riots, is visible in Noumea, New Caledonia, on May 19, 2024. Photo by Gill Chabaud/ABACAPRESS.com

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Situation in New Caledonia - Noumea

Remnants of burnt-out vehicles blocking the roads between Porte de Fer and Montravel in Noumea, New Caledonia, on May 19, 2024. Photo by Gill Chabaud/ABACAPRESS.com

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Situation in New Caledonia - Noumea

View of the entrance to Montravel via the VDE, where burnt vehicles blocking access held by rioters can be seen. On the left side of the photo, the Le Froid company, burned on the first night of the riots, is visible in Noumea, New Caledonia, on May 19, 2024. Photo by Gill Chabaud/ABACAPRESS.com

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Situation in New Caledonia - Noumea

Access to Montravel still blocked by rioters in Noumea, New Caledonia, on May 19, 2024. Photo by Gill Chabaud/ABACAPRESS.com

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Situation in New Caledonia - Noumea

Entrance to Montravel, still occupied by rioters in Noumea, New Caledonia on May 19, 2024. Photo by ABACAPRESS.com

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Situation in New Caledonia - Noumea

Section of the VDE between Rivière Salée and Montravel in Noumea, New Caledonia on May 19, 2024. Photo by ABACAPRESS.com

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Situation in New Caledonia - Noumea

Access road to Montravel littered with debris and burnt-out car wrecks in Noumea, New Caledonia on May 19, 2024. Photo by ABACAPRESS.com

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Situation in New Caledonia - Noumea

Entrance to Montravel, still occupied by rioters in Noumea, New Caledonia on May 19, 2024. Photo by ABACAPRESS.com

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Parts Of New Caledonia ‘Out Of State Control’

The dock of the company Le Froid at the entrance of Montravel. The first major fire reported on the first night of rioting. Tensions remained high in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, on Friday after days of riots as the French government’s representative said areas of the Pacific territory have “escaped” state control. Louis Le Franc, high commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia, announced new security deployments. The number of police and gendarmes on the island will rise to 2,700 from 1,700 by Friday evening. After rioting that began on Monday, leaving five dead and resulting in hundreds of arrests, Thursday night was relatively calm, he said. However, there were still points of confrontation and concern in Noumea. Noumea, New Caledonia, May 17, 2024. Photo by Gill Chabaud/ABACAPRESS.COM