SYDNEY (Reuters) – New Caledonia will hold a referendum on independence from France this weekend, despite concerns that a boycott by pro-independence parties and holding the poll amid the coronavirus pandemic risk an outbreak of violence.
Here are some key facts:
NEW CALEDONIA
New Caledonia is located 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) east of Australia. Its population is 41% Melanesian (mostly Kanak) and 24% of European origin (mostly French), according to the United Nations.
New Caledonia has the world’s seventh-largest nickel reserves and mining is the major industry, but it relies on financial support from France.
THE NOUMEA ACCORD
The Noumea Accord of 1998, outlining gradual autonomy and referendums for independence, was agreed in 1998 after a decade of conflict that resulted in 80 deaths in the 1980s.
The accord allowed for three referendums to determine the future of the country. Two previous referendums, in 2018 and 2020, resulted in “No” votes of 57% and 53% respectively.
The deadline for the third vote to be held is October 2022.
The accord restricts voting to indigenous people and foreigners who have been resident continuously since 1994. These voting restrictions end once the third referendum is held.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; editing by Jane Wardell)
