NOUMEA (Pacnews) — Some 39 Wallisian families have so far left the troubled village of Saint Louis here in the New Caledonian capital, nearly six months after ethnic tension broke out, daily newspaper Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes reports.
The displaced families have been relocated in social housing facilities in the capital’s suburbs.
On Friday, all parties involved in the confrontation, which has claimed the life of at least two Kanak men since December, met for the second time at the French High Commission to find a way out of the situation, which has been further complicated by a power struggle between two traditional Kanak chiefs in the Saint Louis area, Robert Moyatea and Roch Wamytan.
At Friday’s meeting representatives of one clan, led by Robert Moyatea, demanded that a proper schedule be devised to set out a “departure calendar” for all Wallisians still residing in the area. The Moyatea clan then walked out of the meeting.
The Kanaks had set an March 8 deadline for Wallisians to move out of the area, but that deadline elapsed with no agreement being reached.
Heavy gunfire exchange was once again reported in the Saint Louis area on Saturday night. No one was injured, but French gendarmes had once again to intervene with teargas to restore order.
