BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 3. France's colonial policy towards New Caledonia was reflected in the Matignon (1988), Nouméa (1998) and Bougival (2025) Accords. The aim is to protect the interests of the French settlers, maintain colonial control and suppress the Kanak people’s legitimate aspirations for independence,” the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) said in a statement, Trend reports.
“New Caledonia is located in the South Pacific Ocean. The indigenous Kanaks, comprising about 40 percent of the population, are fighting for self-determination. The Bougival Accord, signed on July 12, 2025, is viewed as a neocolonial policy rather than a step towards decolonization. With rising tensions in the New Caledonian government over political representation and economic inequality, especially concerning the nickel industry which is the backbone of the economy, France is delaying decolonization processes in Kanaky. This is contrary to the principles of decolonization as reflected in UN Resolution 1514,” the statement mentioned.
According to the statement, France has used all three agreements to postpone or manipulate the decolonization process, in violation of the UN-recognized right to decolonization. France has also avoid negotiations with the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), a move widely viewed a component of its neocolonial strategy.