Deadly violence has erupted for a third consecutive night in New Caledonia following proposed changes to France's Constitution that would grant voting rights to an increasing number of non-Indigenous residents. French TV reports have shown widespread looting and arson, with citizens armed with rifles and machetes clashing with riot police. The capital city of Nouméa is engulfed in plumes of smoke from numerous fires.

According to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, the violence has resulted in the deaths of at least four people, including a police officer who was fatally shot at close range in the forehead. Fearing for their safety, many residents have barricaded themselves in their homes, while others have set up roadblocks and formed militias to protect their neighborhoods.

In response to the escalating unrest, France declared a state of emergency for a period of at least 12 days and deployed hundreds of riot police to the archipelago. French President Emmanuel Macron appealed for calm, urging New Caledonian political leaders to unequivocally condemn the violence. He has invited both pro- and anti-independence leaders to hold face-to-face meetings in Paris.

The high commissioner for New Caledonia, Louis Le Franc, voiced concerns over the situation, warning that the region was descending into a dangerous and deadly spiral. He appealed to both loyalist and pro-independence citizens to heed the call for calm, emphasizing the potential for further loss of life if the violence continues unabated.

The root of the political tensions in New Caledonia lies in the divide between the largely pro-independence Indigenous Kanak communities and the predominantly French residents who oppose breaking away from France. The archipelago was annexed by France in 1853, leading to colonization and suppression of the Indigenous population. Violent confrontations erupted in the 1980s, resulting in the deaths of pro-independence activists and gendarmes, eventually culminating in the Nouméa Accord of 1998, which promised greater political autonomy for the Kanak community.

Since 2018, three referendums for independence have been held in New Caledonia, all of which have failed to secure independence. However, the percentage of votes in favor has steadily increased, reaching as high as 47% in 2020. The Kanak voters boycotted the most recent referendum in 2021.

The proposed changes to voting rights, which would allow residents who have lived in New Caledonia for at least 10 years to participate, are viewed by Kanaks as diluting the Indigenous vote and altering the rules midway through the game, according to analysts. Despite the tensions, long-standing members of the independence movement have called for calm, emphasizing that the current violence is not a part of the struggle for independence.

The situation in New Caledonia remains highly volatile, with the alarming loss of life and widespread property damage escalating concerns. As the French government takes measures to restore order and engage in dialogue, the world watches closely in hopes of a peaceful resolution to the prolonged political tensions in the archipelago.