New Caledonian capital Noumea 'under control' after deadly riots
France said it had regained full control of the New Caledonian capital Nouméa on Friday – more than two weeks after major riots rocked the overseas Pacific territory.
Elite police units and gendarmes carried out an operation to secure the Rivière-Salée neighbourhood north of the capital – the last to have roadblocks in place.
In a post on social media, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said 12 people had been arrested and 26 roadblocks removed.
The operation mobilised 400 law enforcement personnel, the French High Commission in New Caledonia told reporters.
Other districts blocked
Despite assurances the capital had been brought under full control, local officials said some neighbourhoods remained blocked.
Sonia Backès, president of the South Province and a key figure in the Loyalist movement, said there were still problems in neighborhoods including Mont-Dore, Païta and Dumbéa.
“The state has the means to act, as we saw in Rivière-Salée, and it's urgent to do so wherever necessary," she told reporters.
Another roadblock was being dismantled by gendarmes at La Tamoa, near La Tontouta International Airport, which remains closed to commercial flights until Monday.
Ongoing crisis
Read more on RFI English
Read also:
Deadly unrest in New Caledonia tied to old colonial wounds
First French tourists evacuated from New Caledonia as unrest continues
French police to remain in riot-hit New Caledonia, says Macron
