A deal was reached after nine hours of talks in Paris between the leaders of the island nation, located 750 miles east of Australia, and French officialsThe French overseas territory of New Caledonia will hold a referendum on self rule in 2018, which is expected to pave the way to full independence for the Pacific archipelago. If a majority of New Caledonia’s 275,000 inhabitants – 45% of whom are indigenous Kanaks – opts for independence, it will be the first French territory to break away since Djibouti in the Horn of Africa in 1977 and Vanuatu in the south Pacific in 1980. France despatched a military force, and most of the hostage-takers and two French soldiers were killed in a shoot out. The Nouméa Accord, a 20-year agreement between Paris and New Caledonian officials in 1998 and named after the territory’s capital, envised a phased withdrawal by France from its territory 10,000 miles away, with a referendum on self rule by 2018 at the latest. The territory currently sends two MPs to the National Assembly and two senators to France’s upper house of parliament.

Source: The Guardian November 03, 2017 17:37 UTC