Senator Robert Howie, who represents New Caledonia in the French Senate, voiced the following criticisms of the French government in the upper house of the parliament, Azernews reports.

He stated that the Kanak people are not enemies of the French people. They want to end 70 years of colonial history.

“The government presented a draft agreement on September 6, 2023, which will be the basis for the revision of the Constitution. This document begins with Caledonian residents stating that they want New Caledonia to remain a part of France. Caledonian historian Jose Barbanson said that the Caledonian people do not exist without the Kanak people,” he said.

He added that the last referendum held by the French government in New Caledonia was disputed before the UN. This was a French pretext for removing New Caledonia from the list of territories to be decolonized. Also, France's actions aim to replace the Noumea Agreement by stripping it of its Constitutional value.

"The French government is legalizing colonial settlement against the balance achieved in 1998. Lack of impartiality leads to fruitless discussions today. The state should be able to understand that the time has come for wisdom," Senator Robert Howie.

It should be emphasized that this is the first speech of the representative of New Caledonia in the French Senate. The listed fact once again proves that new processes are taking place in the struggle for independence in New Caledonia.