BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 7. On July 6, 2026, at the initiative of the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), an online meeting was held to discuss the results of the regional elections held in Kanak–New Caledonia.
According to the BIG's press service, the event was attended by representatives from Kanak–New Caledonia, Réunion, Mayotte, the Union of the Comoros, and French Guiana, all of which suffer from French colonial policies.
During the discussions, Jean-Baptiste Dialle, a representative of the Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation (FLNKS) who advocates for the independence of Kanak–New Caledonia, stated that the election results were a success for independence supporters.
At the same time, representatives of the Kanak people noted with regret that, as a result of the French government’s policies, trust in the electoral process has declined among a part of the population, and hopes that the path to independence can be secured exclusively through elections have noticeably weakened. For this reason, the local community did not participate very actively in the voting.
According to Orlan Taristas, a representative of the “Ka Ubuntu” party, which advocates for Réunion’s independence, the success of independence supporters in Kanak–New Caledonia takes on special significance against the backdrop of serious concerns regarding the transparency of the electoral process, stemming from the actions of the French government in Paris.
Former political prisoner and activist in the Kanak–New Caledonia independence movement, Dimitri Genegey, called the elections a success and described them as the next step in the struggle for freedom.
During the meeting, organized at the initiative of the BIG, a symbolic flash mob was held in support of the Kanaks and the candidates who won the regional elections on June 28. Participants chanted slogans such as “Freedom for the Kanaks,” “Congratulations,” and other expressions of support.
In conclusion, the meeting participants expressed their gratitude to the Baku Initiative Group for keeping the struggle of peoples suffering under French colonialism in the international spotlight, for the support it has provided, and for its messages of solidarity.
Meanwhile, the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) is an international non-governmental organization headquartered in Baku, Azerbaijan. Established on July 6, 2023, during a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial meeting, BIG advocates for decolonization, human rights, and self-determination.
