2,000 human reinforcements, made up of 1,400 gendarmes including 15 mobile squadrons, a hundred police officers and 250 soldiers.

In addition to this material, 160 vehicles, 30 armored vehicles and information and communication equipment as well as two Puma helicopters and a Casa de l'Armée plane.

The figures have something to turn pale, when one considers that these security forces must supervise a poll.

However, it is this device that will be deployed in New Caledonia, as part of the third referendum on independence to be held on December 12.

“This is not a classic ballot in terms of issues and expectations.

This device has twice as many staff as in the first referendum in 2018, it aims to be reassuring, dissuasive and reactive, ”said General of the Gendarmerie Christophe Marietti, in charge of the operation.

The question of independence is indeed particularly sensitive on the “Caillou”.

The reinforcements are also "intended to remain in the territory as long as the situation requires", and a cell dedicated to cybersurveillance has been set up to stem any call to hatred or violence on social networks.

During the two previous votes, on November 4, 2018 and October 4, 2020, the 185,000 Caledonian voters chose to stay in France at 56.7% and then 53.3%.

This third ballot, planned as part of the step-by-step decolonization process of the Nouméa Accord (1998), is therefore crucial and promises to be close.

Call for a boycott of the ballot

But the FLNKS separatists called on their activists on Thursday not to participate in this crucial ballot, pointing to the health conditions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Worse, "the government persists in wanting to prioritize the presidential campaign for the sole purpose of settling the Noumea Accord under its five-year term," says the Political Bureau of the independence coalition.

For the separatists, the French state can use the logistical and medical support provided during the Covid-19 crisis to campaign.

This position of the FLNKS raises questions about the maintenance of the ballot.

But the High Commissioner of the Republic remains inflexible: "for the moment, I am content to organize it for December 12".

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  • Security

  • Vote

  • Referendum

  • New Caledonia

  • Independence referendum