France has declared a state of emergency on the Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia after violent protests flared up against electoral reforms killing one police officer and three others, the Washington Post reported.
Notably, New Caledonia is a French overseas territory located hundreds of miles off Australia's eastern coast.
The violence -- the worst in decades -- is the latest flash point in long-running tensions over Paris' role in the archipelago.
"On behalf of the government, I reiterate before you the call for calm and appeasement," government spokeswoman Prisca Thevenot said Wednesday at a news briefing following a ministerial meeting.
She paid tribute to the four people who lost their lives in the unrest and called for "the resumption of political dialogue" to find a solution to the violence.
The state of emergency came into effect at 8 pm (Paris time) on Wednesday and 5 am in Noumea, the island's capital.
According to French law, a state of emergency can be declared in situations of "imminent danger resulting from serious breaches of public order."
It grants local authorities expanded powers, to cut off public access to certain areas, for example, and to execute searches and prevent certain individuals from entering those areas if they are deemed to represent a threat to public safety, the Washington Post reported.
"All violence is intolerable and will be the subject of a relentless response to ensure the return of order," a statement released by French President Emmanuel Macron's office on Wednesday read.
Reacting to the violent protest, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said, "Since the start of the week, New Caledonia has been hit by violence of a rare intensity." He added that a state of emergency "will allow us to roll out massive means to restore order."
NDTV
