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France Sends Minister to New Caledonia in Bid to Rescue Peace Plan
French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls is in New Caledonia trying to shore up support for an all-party agreement that promised to end years of conflict.
France's Minister of Overseas Manuel Valls gestures as he delivers a speech during a meeting entitled "For the Republic... France against Islamism" at the Dome de Paris, in Paris on March 26, 2025. Thibaud Moritz/AFP via Getty Images
France’s overseas minister Manuel Valls is in New Caledonia after a landmark peace deal unravelled, with a major pro-independence group rejecting it despite having signed an accord.
Failure of the agreement risks a repeat of the riots of last year, which led to 14 deaths and over €2 billion (US$2.33 billion) in material damage.
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.
