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Pacific Leaders’ Troika Begins New Caledonia Fact-Finding Mission
Patrick Decloitre, Correspondent French Pacific Desk
The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders' troika, along with the Fiji's prime minister, touched down in New Caledonia on Sunday for a fact-finding mission on the French Pacific territory's situation.
The troika plus format involves the PIF's previous, current and future chairs: they are mission leader Tonga Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, and representative of the Forum's future chair, Solomon Islands Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Peter-Shanel Agovaka (who takes part in place of Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele).
Fiji PM Sitiveni Rabuka is the "plus" component of the mission.
While Brown landed in Nouméa on Saturday, the rest of the PIF leaders touched down on Sunday and were welcomed by New Caledonia's highest officials, including local government President Louis Mapou, French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc and French Ambassador for the Pacific Véronique Roger-Lacan.
The regional leaders were also granted a full state protocol with a guard of honour, local media reported.
Charles Wéa, New Caledonia's President Mapou's advisor for international relations, told public broadcaster NC la 1ère at the weekend: "New Caledonia is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum and therefore is involved in everything that happens in the Pacific".
"This mission comes in solidarity, to listen and see what are the possible ways to accompany our territory towards political and economic prospects."
Upon return from their visit, the leaders are expected to prepare and submit a report to the next 54th Pacific Island Forum leaders' summit, to be held in Solomon Islands from 8-12 September 2025.
Sunday programme: politics, economy, hospital
On Sunday, the Pacific leaders started their mission in earnest, going to the site of one of Nouméa's large commercial centres, Kenu-Inn, near Nouméa, which was largely destroyed and looted during the May riots.
They also met there a delegation of business leaders who explained the heavy impact of the destruction, arson and looting, and its consequences on the local economy.
Local Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) leader David Guyenne told local media: "We, economic leaders, really wanted them to see for themselves what did happen, and this is beyond imagination in terms of devastation".
"There has been a moment of shock of cataclysmic proportions for business owners, employees, families who have all suffered the consequences."
He said he believed the PIF mission could bring a constructive contribution if they do not have "an ideological vision of what happened in New Caledonia...to really understand that what took place is an economic and social issue".
"We will build again with time, a pragmatic approach without mixing politics, ideology and what happened," he said.
GDP decline: '20 years backwards'
Guyenne also said he has conveyed to the Pacific leaders the hard figures the situation entailed.
"We are talking about 20 percent of New Caledonia's gross domestic product (GDP); this has brought us 20 years backwards.
"This is the reality for people and companies."
Earlier in the day, the leaders also held talks with Le Franc and Roger-Lacan.
They also went to New Caledonia's main hospital Médipôle to hear about how the crucial centre was affected by riots and the impact this had on the public health system.
Later in the day, political talks went on at New Caledonia's Congress, where they held talks with its President Veylma Falaéo.
"I am happy to see that each one of them came to bring their encouragement in these difficult times for us and in our current efforts for dialogue and reconciliation," Falaéo said.
"I don't think they were here to tell us what to do. They believe the solution can only come from us and to encourage us to pursue on the way to unity, peace and dialogue."
On Monday, the leaders ares scheduled to pursue its mission with political talks and meetings with a wide panel of political parties from both the pro-independence and pro-France (loyalists) movements.
The high-level mission is being described as "strictly observational" and "in line with the request of the New Caledonia government, will follow the terms of reference, agreed by the French State, the government of New Caledonia and endorsed by the Forum Leaders".
The mission came following a request from Mapou following the breakout of riots on 13 May 2024.
The PIF mission was initially scheduled to take place before the Pacific Islands Forum annual leaders' summit in Nuku'alofa in late August, but was postponed, due to what has been described at the time as differences between New Caledonia's government and its administrative power, France, on the mission's terms of reference.
The Forum leaders group is supported by PIF secretary general Baron Waqa and senior officials "with the guidance of the French State and New Caledonia government", the Forum stated.
The Pacific region's top political organisation said the troika-plus will tour Nouméa and meet stakeholders impacted by the recent unrest, including a wide spectrum of "New Caledonian political parties, youth", and the "impacted communities from the private, health, and education sectors".
"This mission to New Caledonia comes at a pivotal time, as it navigates complex political dynamics and seeks to address ongoing social and economic challenges in New Caledonia.
"By understanding local perspectives, the Forum can better support ongoing dialogue about New Caledonia's future, all while respecting its current status."
The sensitive terms of reference were finally agreed to during the PIF leaders' summit in Tonga at the end of August.
In their final communiqué on 30 August, PIF leaders mentioned the issue of New Caledonia in two paragraphs].
They "noted the update on the situation in New Caledonia by the President of the government of New Caledonia, Mapou, and reaffirmed their continued call for order and stability to prevail as well as their continued commitment to provide support as necessary to New Caledonia" and "reaffirmed the commitment to deploy the high-level Forum troika plus mission to New Caledonia in line with the request of New Caledonia's government and noted the agreement of the French State and the Government of New Caledonia on the Terms of Reference for the Forum Troika Mission".
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