ANKARA/ISTANBUL 

Pro-independence leaders in New Caledonia said Wednesday they plan to declare the island’s sovereignty before France’s 2027 presidential election, according to broadcaster France Info.

The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) and allied groups said in a joint statement that they are seeking “full sovereignty” for the French Pacific territory.

“Independence will be declared as soon as the necessary conditions are met, and no later than before the 2027 presidential election,” the statement said.

The announcement followed the rejection of the Bougival Agreement, a deal signed in July between Paris and local representatives. On Aug. 13, FLNKS formally rejected the draft, calling it incompatible with the movement’s struggle.

Dominique Fochi, secretary general of the Caledonian Union and a member of the FLNKS political bureau, told reporters in Noumea that the agreement contradicted “the foundations and achievements of our struggle.” Marie-Pierre Goyetche of the Labour Party, also in the FLNKS leadership, rejected the plan, while FLNKS head Christian Tein denounced French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal as “forced.”

The Bougival Agreement, signed on July 12, would enshrine New Caledonia’s status in the French Constitution. It includes creating a Caledonian nationality allowing residents to hold dual Caledonian and French citizenship, forming a new provincial electoral body for those born in New Caledonia or resident for at least 15 years, and redistributing seats in the local Congress.

New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the South Pacific, has been under French control since the 19th century. Calls for independence have persisted for decades, particularly among the Indigenous Kanak population, who have sought greater autonomy or full sovereignty.