Kanaky (New Caledonia) and the struggle for liberation

Women on the Line

This episode explores the impacts of repression, settler colonialism, and militarism in Kanaky (New Caledonia) ahead of Kanaky Invasion Day, September 24. The French colonised Kanaky in 1853.Since May 2024, the violent French occupation has intensified with increased military repression and significant deployment of French armed forces, raising concerns about the potential of genocide, the ongoing militarisation of the region and extrajudicial killings of Indigenous Kanak people as armed French civilian militias patrol the streets killing Kanak people at random.Sarah and Emma from the Free Kanaky Solidarity Naarm collective discuss the situation on the ground for Kanak people, in particular for Kanak women, in the face of what local feminists have warned could turn into a genocidal campaign. See below for an excerpt of a letter addressed to the world written by feminist organisations in Kanaky. "We, Kanak, Indigenous & allied women of Kanaky, appeal to your international feminist solidarity in response to the violent situation we are currently experiencing on our lands. This situation is the result of colonisation, starting from France’s taking possession of the land in 1853, followed by successive ‘civilising’ interventions by the army to ‘pacify’ the Kanak (then considered to be savages), and of an accelerated recolonisation via settler colonialism orchestrated by the French state. This situation has been reshaped along neoliberal lines since 2020 with the appointment of Sébastien Lecornu under Emmanuel Macron."Since 13 May 2024 we have been subjected to an extensive operation of colonial repression, including the massive deployment of French armed forces to a country already undergoing a process of militarisation.In particular, we are sounding the alarm over:- the risk of genocide identified through various markers- the need to reopen Nouméa's airports and commercial flights for the well-being of all."You can read the full letter here, published in May 2024.