New Caledonia News

Tensions remain high in New Caledonia after last year’s violent unrest over France’s changes to voter eligibility laws. With local elections set for November, former French PM and now Overseas Minister Manuel Valls is in Noumea, aiming to restart stalled negotiations. Independence parties remain divided but welcome Valls’ nod to the Noumea Accord and decolonization, while loyalists reject any talk of “full sovereignty.” With deep divisions, fears of renewed unrest, and France’s political instability, Valls faces a tough road ahead. Lowy Institute

Over 10,000 people left New Caledonia in 2024, according to CCI Nouvelle-Calédonie President David Guyenne. Guyenne told public broadcaster NC la 1ère these figures (10,713, or about 4% of the total population) were based on departures and arrivals data collected by the French Pacific territory’s La Tontouta airport, which is managed by the CCI. Islands Business

Following awareness-raising campaigns and farm biosecurity training, the importation of feed containing antimicrobials in New Caledonia has completely stopped in just two years. This positive outcome, led by the whole food production sector and backed by scientific evidence, is highlighted on ANIMUSE platform by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

🐳🐋 As few as 7% of male humpback whales in New Caledonia in the south-west Pacific may have fathered offspring, a study has found. The Guardian Nicola Davis, PhD

The French Pacific territory of #NewCaledonia has named French loyalist Alcide Ponga as its new head of government, as the archipelago attempts to recover from months of violent unrest that has left the economy in tatters. Radio France Internationale

Weeks after its first ever pro-independence government collapsed, New Caledonia has named a French loyalist as its new president as the territory seeks to rebuild from deadly riots and destruction that battered the economy. Alcide Ponga, from the Le Rassemblement party, was elected president by the newly installed executive in Congress on Wednesday. Ponga’s party is affiliated with French right-wing party LR, Les Républicains. The loyalists are in favour of keeping New Caledonia within France. “What I feel first and foremost is the weight of responsibility,” Ponga said on Wednesday. “We all know the situation New Caledonia has been in for the past seven months. What Caledonians expect today is for us to be able to work together and give a signal of hope,” he said. Ponga, 49, is Kanak and comes from Kouaoua, a mining village in the north of the archipelago. He made his career in the nickel industry before entering politics in 2014. The Guardian Julien Mazzoni Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie

⛏️ Two potential buyers have made offers for Glencore’s 49% stake in Koniambo Nickel SAS (KNS), following site visits late last year. Operations at KNS, part of New Caledonia's struggling nickel sector, have been halted since March, with furnaces shut down in August after no timely offers emerged. The proposals are now under review by KNS' shareholders, including SMSP, which holds the majority 51% stake. High operating costs and recent political unrest have hit the region's nickel producers hard, though some, like Prony Resources, are cautiously restarting operations. The future of New Caledonia's nickel industry remains uncertain but continues to attract strategic interest as global demand for battery-grade nickel grows. Reuters Alexandre Rousseau

New Caledonia's government was toppled on Christmas Eve due to a mass resignation led by Environment Minister Jeremie Katidjo Monnier, the sole Calédonie Ensemble representative in the cabinet. Katidjo-Monnier, citing growing tensions between the government and Congress, announced that his party's entire list of potential replacements had also resigned as a bloc, forcing the government into caretaker mode until a new one is elected within 15 days, as per the 1999 organic law. At the heart of the crisis were disputes over President Louis Mapou's €1 billion loan proposal to rebuild after devastating riots, opposed by Congress, which advocated for non-refundable grants from France to avoid unsustainable debt. This marks the 11th time New Caledonia's government has collapsed due to such a bloc resignation since the introduction of its autonomous system in 1999. RNZ Patrick Antoine Decloitre

Despite months of deadly civil unrest and billions of dollars in damages, France won't let go of its Pacific island colony, New Caledonia. Doug Dingwall explains why. ABC News

Nickel miner Prony Resources New Caledonia has restarted operations at its Goro mine after a seven-month suspension due to unrest but warns of fragile cash flow. The local #nickel industry, critical to New Caledonia’s economy, faces ongoing challenges from price slumps and civil unrest. Prony aims to produce 3,500 tons of nickel monthly for EV batteries, while the French government works on long-term solutions with subsidies and renewable energy investments. MINING.com Bloomberg News Bloomberg Jason Scott #newcaledonia