New Caledonia’s main pro-independence coalition, the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), has rejected the Bougival agreement – a French plan signed last month to give the territory its own nationality and some powers, but no new independence referendum.
At a press conference in Nouméa on Wednesday, Dominique Fochi, secretary-general of the Caledonian Union and a senior figure within the FLNKS, said the movement’s extraordinary congress had voted on Saturday to reject the deal outright.
“The FLNKS formally rejects the Bougival draft agreement because it is incompatible with the foundations and achievements of our struggle,” Mr Fochi declared.
Signed on 12 July under the guidance of Overseas Minister Manuel Valls, the Bougival text outlines the transfer of some sovereign powers such as currency, justice and policing.
The absence of a new independence referendum – a core demand for many Kanak activists – has proved a deal-breaker.
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“This is a blanket rejection,” said Marie-Pierre Goyetche of the Labour Party, also on the FLNKS political bureau. “We will not take part in the drafting committee proposed by the Minister for Overseas Territories.”
Goyetche urged supporters to resist any attempt by Paris to push the deal through. “We are launching a peaceful appeal to our supporters to say stop to the State if it intends to force this through.”
Tensions over the issue are still fresh. In May 2024, protests against electoral changes and independence delays spiralled into violence, leaving 14 dead and causing damage worth several billion euros.
Overseas minister Valls plans visit
Manuel Valls said on Sunday he would travel to New Caledonia during the week of 18 August in an effort to salvage what he has called “a historic compromise, the result of months of work … with all delegations, including the FLNKS”.
In a video link from prison in Mulhouse, where he has been held for nearly a year, FLNKS president Christian Tein accused President Emmanuel Macron of forcing through a flawed deal.
“No lessons have been learned from what the country has endured,” he said. “You can’t build a country like this, pushing us into a corner. It’s humiliating for the Kanak people.”
Although released from prison in June, Tein remains barred from returning to New Caledonia while under investigation over last year’s unrest. He denies any role in inciting violence.
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A new path to sovereignty
The FLNKS is now calling for an alternative roadmap – a “Kanaky agreement” to be signed on 24 September 2025, leading to full sovereignty for New Caledonia before the French presidential election in 2027.
Any such talks, Mr Fochi insisted, should be held under Mr Tein’s supervision.
Despite rejecting Bougival, the FLNKS says it will still meet Mr Valls during his trip. Sylvain Pabouty of Dynamik Unitaire Sud stressed the need for provincial elections – postponed since May 2024 – to go ahead in November 2025.
“We want elections to determine the true legitimacy of all political forces,” Mr Pabouty said. “We remain open to dialogue with those legitimised by the ballot box.”
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Key provincial vote in limbo
Provincial assemblies wield most of New Caledonia’s political power, making their composition crucial. But the Bougival agreement proposes delaying the vote yet again – this time to mid-2026 – a move fiercely opposed by the FLNKS.
The July accord has the backing of the entire non-independence bloc, as well as the “Eveil Océanien” (Oceanian Awakening) party, which takes a neutral stance on the independence question.
It is also supported by two moderate pro-independence parties – Palika and the Progressive Union of Melanesia – which quit the FLNKS in August 2024.
