00:00 The French army arrived in New Caledonia, an archipelago located in the South Pacific,
00:05 in the middle of violent disturbances that have left at least five people dead.
00:09 According to authorities, thousands of security service reinforcements were deployed
00:15 in order to increase powers to quell violence in the French territory of New Macedonia,
00:20 which has long sought independence. They also reported that the number of violent incidents
00:25 recorded in the archipelago dropped slightly on Friday after the French government imposed
00:31 a state of emergency. In addition, the top French official in the territory, High Commissioner
00:36 Louis Lefranc, also announced strict measures under the state of emergency declared by President
00:42 Emmanuel Macron. This social outburst took place after the French National Assembly adopted last
00:52 May 13 a reform of the island's electoral roll that would allow residents of the overseas territory
00:59 the right to vote. Opponents of the reform organized protests which turned into riots,
01:04 leading to clashes with security forces, burning of vehicles and looting of shops.
01:10 The protesters claimed that France does not take into account the identity of the inhabitants of
01:15 the archipelago and condemned the fact that outsiders decide for them.
01:21 French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal met on Friday with parliamentary committees to discuss the
01:26 crisis and unrest in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia. The number of violent incidents
01:32 recorded fell slightly on Friday after France imposed a state of emergency following protests
01:37 over the electoral reforms backed by the Paris government. Some 1,000 security officers with
01:43 enhanced powers were deployed to quell the protests. The French Prime Minister,
01:48 said the unrest in the archipelago of about 270,000 people whose indigenous population has
01:57 long sought independence. French authorities in New Caledonia said five people, including
02:02 two police officers, had died since Monday.
02:06 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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