Curfew imposed in Martinique after protests over high cost of living, two dead on Pacific island of New Caledonia
French territories in the Caribbean and Pacific are facing a new wave of unrest: security forces killed two men in New Caledonia and a curfew was imposed following riots in Martinique.
The surge in violence poses a challenge for the new centre-right Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who has struggled to form a government following early parliamentary elections in June, when no party won an outright majority.
Barnier, a former European Union Brexit negotiator, presented a proposal for a new cabinet to President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday evening, with the list expected to be officially announced as early as Friday, the AFP news agency reported.
In the Pacific territory of New Caledonia, police killed two men during a night-time operation, the Noumea prosecutor's office said Thursday.
The incident took place in Saint Louis, a stronghold of the independence movement south of Noumea, as police were searching for a dozen people suspected of involvement in armed robberies and attacks on security forces, the prosecutor's statement said.
The killings bring to 13 the death toll on the Pacific island since the start of a crisis sparked by a controversial electoral reform that was suspended in June.
Violence erupted in mid-May over France's plan to reform the electoral system, which the indigenous Kanak people fear will dilute their vote and make it harder to pass any future referendum on independence.
In June, Macron suspended the reform plan, but violence has persisted in the territory, a major producer of nickel.
France has sent thousands of soldiers and police forces to the archipelago, home to some 270,000 people and nearly 17,000 kilometres from Paris. Damage caused by the violence was estimated at $2.4 billion.
Meanwhile, the prefect of the French overseas territory of Martinique has imposed a night-time curfew to limit movement in certain districts of Fort-de-France and Le Lamentin due to the violence that has rocked the Caribbean island.
The curfew, which was imposed on Wednesday, will remain in place at least until September 23 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and comes amid protests against the high cost of living on the island of 350,000 people, according to the government statement.
Damaged cars were seen blocking streets on Friday. In other areas, burnt debris was strewn across traffic. Taxi drivers also joined the protests.
Rodrigue Petitot, an activist, told Al Jazeera that Martinique residents are protesting against rising costs, which are, for example, 30 percent higher for food compared to prices in France.
Gladys Roger, another activist and protester, said a portion of the island's population “lives in extreme poverty,” with parents struggling to feed their children properly.
“The problem has been around for a long time and it is time to find a concrete solution,” said Roger.
The unrest followed protests that began in early September over rising prices. Martinique's prefect, Jean-Christophe Bouvier, said authorities had made 15 arrests.
Eleven police officers were wounded by gunfire, he said, adding that three rioters also suffered injuries.
