The European Union supports the autonomy plan for the Sahara, but what about New Caledonia?

The APROFED association is back with you this week on an international news item and the announcement made a few days ago by the European Union of its support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco for Western Sahara (cf. Sahara: The EU finally announces its support for the autonomy plan | L’Opinion ).

This approach is in line with the support given by France to this plan in August 2024, for which we wrote an article (see President Macron supports the autonomy plan for Western Sahara – APROFED ).

While the association welcomes this initiative, it nevertheless questions the lack of a similar approach for New Caledonia , a French territory whose situation is analogous to that of Western Sahara. Is this because we are a territory of an EU member state?

It would seem that the only interest shown by the EU in New Caledonia is of an economic nature, more specifically mining (cf. Supply of rare metals: the EU launches strategic projects abroad and in New Caledonia | Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes ).

While Caledonian separatists have long understood that they will never obtain their independence from France as long as they are sitting on green gold (nickel), it would seem that they must also fight against the EU , leading them to look towards other possible partners such as the USA (see Louis Mapou talks about partnerships with Joe Biden | Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes ) or the BRICS+ (see New Caledonia: when China, Russia and Azerbaijan maneuver to destabilize the archipelago | Les Echos ).

While the EU intervened with more than 110 million euros to support recovery and reconstruction after the cyclones in Mayotte and Réunion (see Mayotte and Réunion: more than 110 million euros from the EU to support recovery and reconstruction after the cyclones – Representation in France ), New Caledonia would certainly have liked to be supported in the same way rather than suffer the economic blackmail suffered by France which is denounced by many in the territory (see INTERVIEW. Economic recovery and institutional future: MP Emmanuel Tjibaou denounces “blackmail” by the State ).

While it is true that another option remains, namely that of our regional neighbors such as Australia and New Zealand, it is worth noting their conspicuous absence since the last Pacific Islands Forum, which was supposed to result in a report on New Caledonia, which, not to France’s liking, has therefore not yet materialized. It is nevertheless worth noting an intensification of contacts between New Caledonia and neighboring countries in the South Pacific as mentioned in UN resolution 80/98 of December 5, 2025 relating to the territory (cf. Select a language for A/RES/80/98), closely monitored by France.

As during the events of the 1980s, the pro-independence movement and Caledonians in general find themselves once again quite alone, as the local group IA KANAKY reminds us with their song “J’avance seul” (cf. J’avance seul – 10 – (Reggae, ragga, old school boom bap) – YouTube / I Walk Alone – 4 – (Reggae) – english ).

Wishing you a pleasant read and reminding you that federalism is the only solution to reconcile unity in diversity.

The APROFED association