On Friday, France formally accused Azerbaijan of meddling in the New Caledonian riots and disseminating anti-French content across various social media platforms, as per a report published by Viginum, a French agency. Viginum claimed that Azerbaijan had propagated “distinctly inaccurate or deceptive content,” consisting of photo and video collages that blamed France for its management of the riots in New Caledonia.
The report was released one day following accusations by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin that Azerbaijan had struck a deal with New Caledonian independentists. Asserting France’s continued sovereignty over New Caledonia, Darmanin declared France’s refusal to yield to violence and alluded to past disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry promptly denied the allegations, commenting on France’s historical “crimes against humanity” and “brutal murder of millions of innocent people” during its colonial era.
A historical ally of Armenia, France is not unfamiliar with territorial issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In April, Armenia agreed to cede territories to Azerbaijan, a decision that sparked protest from local communities.
The Baku Initiative Group, a political venture initiated by Azerbaijan, issued a statement opposing a recent French amendment to the voting structure in New Caledonia, which would allow French nationals living in the country for at least ten years to vote in provincial elections.
Ever since the initiation of the constitutional change by the French National Assembly sparking protests on May 13 and 14, New Caledonia has implemented a curfew and a ban on public gatherings. Amidst escalating chaos, a state of emergency was declared in the territory by France last Thursday.