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From July 8 to 12, 1983, at the Château de Nainville-Les-Roches, representatives of the State and the three main Caledonian political forces sought to lay the foundations for a new statute. The final declaration was not signed by RPCR loyalists and a year later the violence was escalating. But the foundations have been laid.
Cécile Rubichon with Anne-Claire Lévêque and Antoine Letenneur
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Published on July 9, 2023 at 7:01 p.m.,
updated on July 9, 2023 at 7:10 p.m.
1 A tense political and social context
Attack by the Touho gendarmerie, ambush in Koindé, night of looting in Témala… The beginning of 1983 was tense. Since the Caledonian Union took a stand for independence in 1977, tension has been mounting in New Caledonia.
The 1981 presidential election will stir it up. For the first time, the separatists engage in the battle by supporting a candidate, François Mitterrand. But the socialist president does not keep his promise of self-determination. Disappointment creates anger and violence. Demonstrations, threats, looting… In September 1981, the secretary general of the Caledonian Union was assassinated in Mont-Dore.
In June 1982, the centrists of the Federation for a New Caledonian Society (FNSC) joined forces with the Independent Front, overthrowing the government of Dick Ukeiwé. Stoking anger in the loyalist camp of the Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (RPCR). In July, helmeted militants burst into the territorial assembly.
2A historic moment
It was in this context that in May 1983, Georges Lemoine, Secretary of State for Overseas Territories, visiting New Caledonia, proposed a round table to take stock of the hopes and proposals of each and lead to a new statute of broad internal autonomy. It takes place at the beginning of July, at the Château de Nainville-Les-Roches, 40 km from Paris.
>>> To watch: The paths of history, on the road to Nainville-les-Roches
A historic moment, underlines Christian Boissery, then a member of the FNSC. This is the first time that the main New Caledonian political forces have met in France. Since then, every time there is a problem, we organize a meeting in Paris, he comments at the microphone of Anne-Claire Lévêque in the show Return to the news.
History also for what was said, underlines this witness. As for the Caledonian politicians who were there, only he and Jean-Pierre Aïfa remain, at the time president of the FNSC and the territorial assembly.
3What was said to each other
From four days of official and informal discussions, comes a final declaration which confirms the abolition of the colonial fact, recognizes the legitimacy of the Kanak people, of the right to independence and speaks of the elaboration of an internal statute of specific autonomy.
There is the recognition of the colonial fact, which for us is essential. And the recognition of Kanak legitimacy, which is the counterpart of the recognition of the legitimacy of other ethnic groups on the territory, which is essential for peace and security in our country, retains Jean-Marie Tjibaou. The leader will also affirm that the independence claim is nationalist, not racist. By other ethnic groups are designated the other victims of history, from penal colonization, mining colonization, says Jean-Pierre Aïfa. A door is open towards the definition of an electorate.
Others have been. The regionalization of powers, the transfer of skills, the role of custom… Nainville-Les-Roches was the beginning of the agreements, considers Christian Boissery.
4Failure?
The round table does not, however, calm things down. The RPCR refuses to sign the final declaration. The party attended a certain number of exchanges of views, learned a certain number of things, retained a certain number of other things and found that on a certain number of points, deep disagreements still existed, explains Jacques Lafleur at the time. .
Three months later, a so-called Lemoine statute, granting greater autonomy to New Caledonia, was adopted.A year later, the country is sinking into the violence of events. It will be necessary to wait five years for Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Jacques Lafleur to find themselves, this time hand in hand, in Matignon, to sign peace.
In the eyes of Christian Boissery and Jean-Pierre Aïfa, Nainville-Les-Roches was not a failure. We got to know each other, underlines the first. Thanks to the presence of traditional people in particular, the rulers understand that New Caledonia is not the West, that it is a country in Oceania which has customs and practices and which solves its problems by consensus, estimate the second. The next one remains to be found.
Antoine Letenneur’s video report:
Back to the round table of Nainville-Les-Roches.
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©Antoine Letenneur
