The draft Bougival Accords, signed on July 12 between the French
government and various pro-independence and anti-independence parties inKanaky/New Caledonia, were rejected this Wednesday by the FLNKS. The
Libertarian Communist Union affirms that these agreements must be
denounced as a regression in the decolonization process of Kanaky. ----
The first major blow to the decolonization movement in Kanaky: the
unfreezing of the electoral body, a colonial law whose adoption on May
14, 2024, by the National Assembly triggered a massive anti-colonialist
revolt, is enacted by this agreement. From now on, anyone residing in
Kanaky for more than ten years will receive New Caledonian citizenship
and, consequently, the right to vote in elections. We can expect the
French state to send armies of civil servants to tip the scales in its
favor during the provincial elections that elect the representatives who
sit in Congress and decide the country's political future.
On the surface, this step backward is offset by the creation of a state
"associated" with France. What may seem like a symbolic victory,
however, barely conceals the true preservation of the colonial ties. The
"dual nationality" mentioned in the agreement is in reality worthless,
because if you renounce French nationality, you automatically lose
Caledonian nationality. The agreement announces the creation of a
"customary police force," but its organization is not clearly defined:
we can expect yet another armed branch to control Kanak customary areas,
or an organization devoid of real power. Is this merely a symbolic step
forward? Even in this respect, it is not a true victory, since this
state would bear the name "New Caledonia" and its people "Caledonian,"
colonial terms intended to erase the Kanak people and the Kanaky.
Aside from this real setback and these fictitious advances, these
agreements change nothing in colonial domination. The French state
continues to hold the main attributes of sovereignty over Kanaky,
particularly in the area of international relations. The state of New
Caledonia will have to bow to French international interests, relegating
the colony's representatives to mere advisors without diplomatic power.
On the military front, France proclaims itself the only one capable of
defending the territory and maintains its armed forces. It also
strengthens its Adapted Military Service Regiment (RSMA) program, a
military indoctrination machine for youth. France will continue to
interfere in internal security by holding a seat on the High Caledonian
Security Council. If a new penal code is introduced, the New Caledonian
justice system will not be independent of the French government. Worse,
the agreement mentions the creation of a new penitentiary site, even
though Camp Est, the penitentiary center in Kanaky, is on the list of
the worst French prisons. With the announcement of a new prison in
French Guiana, it's the return of the penal colonies!
The economic aspect of the agreement raises fears of maintaining a
neocolonially dependent economy. In monetary matters, France maintains
control by imposing the Pacific franc, a currency pegged to the euro.
The agreement also provides for a "reduction in public spending, the
streamlining of administration, and tax reform." The French government
will set targets for New Caledonia to meet so that it can obtain
subsidies and reduce its debt to France, strengthening its hold on the
country's economy. We can expect the formation of an ultra-liberal state
that will further destroy social gains, to the detriment of the Kanak
population, which is already the most affected by poverty. While the
agreement stipulates that Caledonian nickel will be processed in the
territory's factories, it allows for its export if economic stability so
requires, thus reviving the old colonial pact: exporting low-cost raw
materials to mainland France and the European Union-to which the
agreement guarantees a nickel supply-and importing expensive
manufactured goods into the colony. This is a veritable plundering of
Kanaky's resources and a challenge to the nickel pact that ensured
Kanaky's independence in mining the ore, a pillar of the local economy.
This agreement, under the guise of offering more autonomy for Kanaky in
order to calm the separatists, is nothing less than a new colonial
treaty seeking to control and muzzle the opposition and maintain the
oppression of the Kanak people. Faced with the likelihood of the text
being rejected at the congress of the Kanak and Socialist National
Liberation Front, Manuel Valls, Minister of Overseas Territories,
announced that he was ready to rework the agreement, emphasizing Kanak
identity. But no one is fooled by these false concessions!
The UCL reaffirms its support for the Kanak people's struggle for
independence and calls for participation in all mobilizations for Kanaky
in France. Let us mobilize against French imperialism, against the
colonialism and racism suffered by the Kanak people, and for the
dismantling of what remains of the French colonial empire!
Kanaky will live, Kanaky will win!
Libertarian Communist Union
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Communique-UCL-Projet-d-accords-de-Bougival-un-leurre-colonial
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