One year ago, on 13 May, 2024, violent riots broke out in New Caledonia. Sparked by a controversial electoral reform, the unrest lasted several months, resulting in 14 deaths and causing at least two billion euros in damages.
In the capital, Nouméa, some neighbourhoods are still struggling to recover. But a year after the riots, new initiatives are emerging to bring life back to these areas and rebuild social ties.
Still struggling
A bit of music drifts from an open restaurant, where mothers are running a small market. Nothing extraordinary – and yet, the scene is exceptional in Kaméré.
In this working-class neighbourhood of Nouméa, the only supermarket was burned down in May 2024, along with the pharmacy, part of the middle school, and the public library.
So, the opening of Yasmine Goulamhoussen’s restaurant six weeks ago came as a surprise to the locals. "Having a little bit of music at the restaurant lifts everyone’s spirits," Yasmine told RFI. "I feel like they felt abandoned. They’re even asking themselves: how come someone dared to come here when everyone said no one would?"
The tensions of 2024 have left their mark – above all, they’ve deepened a huge divide between the working-class neighbourhoods, which were at the forefront of the pro-independence movement, and the rest.
Ariane notes with regret that it’s becoming difficult for New Caledonians to connect with one another.
"People don’t want to go to each other’s places anymore. ‘Let’s meet up over here.’ ‘No, I’m not coming, because if I leave too late, something might happen.’ All I ask of New Caledonians is discernment, the ability to separate things. What’s done is done; what’s to come, we must build. So we really need to look toward the future."
Protest ban lifted in New Caledonia nearly a year after deadly riots
The broken ties also affect the youth of the neighbourhood. For months, they were active at the roadblocks. Some are still out on the streets, torn between lingering anger and the struggle to return to normal life, explains Élise:
"It’s still hard for the young people. I invited a bunch of them to come, but none showed up – only the two from this morning came. Still, no one. They promised me they would come this afternoon, but they’re afraid of being judged. Many are scared of what others think, especially if there are outsiders here. They feel very self-conscious."
Return to normal?
Virginie, one of the elders of the neighbourhood, wants to believe that everything will return to normal – and according to her, it’s already begun:
"I think things have changed a lot, it’s better now. It’s not like before [...] Now the neighbourhood is calm. There’s no need to be afraid – come talk to the young people."
This hope is shared by many New Caledonians, despite the failure of negotiations over the archipelago’s political future, that risks plunging it back into uncertainty.
This report was adapted from RFI's podcast Reportage en France produced by Charlotte Mannevy.
