A shooting left two dead and four injured during the night from Saturday to Sunday in a tribe in the commune of Yaté, in the south of the main island of the New Caledonia archipelago, according to the Nouméa prosecutor's office, cited by the AFP.
The shooting broke out on the sidelines of a local festival around 1:00 a.m. (local time), in the Touaourou tribe, in the grip of a clan conflict since December 2022.
“Two men aged 48 and 57 were fatally shot in the chest. Four other people were injured, some with knives
,” said public prosecutor Yves Dupas in a press release.
Molotov cocktails were also used.
An investigation into intentional homicide and violence in meetings has been opened.
Seven people were taken into custody on Sunday.
The High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia has decreed a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. until February 22 in this town of 1,600 inhabitants.
The sale of alcoholic beverages and the transport of weapons are prohibited until March 3 and
"a large gendarmerie system will remain deployed on site"
, indicated Louis Le Franc,
"which condemns with the greatest firmness these particularly serious acts and wishes to see a solution to this clan conflict emerge quickly
.
Schools and boarding schools closed Monday
For its part, the town hall of Yaté decided to close schools and boarding schools on Monday.
The conflict began at the end of 2022 and
“led the prosecution to initiate proceedings for violence and damage in 2023 and most recently in January 2024. Several mediations were carried out in order to ease tensions, without tangible effect until now”
, according to Yves Dupas.
The president of the New Caledonian government, the separatist Louis Mapou, himself a native of Yaté, has
“met the protagonists on several occasions since February 1
,” he wrote in a press release published on Sunday.
“The origin of this conflict cannot justify the number of injured and the death of two fathers. I therefore call for appeasement and responsibility from clan chiefs, customary authorities and all those who can work towards a return to calm
,” concludes Louis Mapou.