High-stakes mission: Will Macron convince Kanak people he wants to 'listen, bring people together?'

President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday flew to France's Pacific territory of New Caledonia on a politically risky visit aiming to defuse a crisis after nine days of riots that have killed six people and injured hundreds. Macron's sudden decision to fly to the southwest Pacific archipelago, some 17,000 kilometres (10,500 miles) from mainland France, is a sign of the gravity with which the government views the pro-separatist violence. New Caledonia, colonised in the second half of the 19th century, and other overseas territories spanning the globe are considered an integral part of France. But there have long been tensions between the Paris government and pro-independence voices among New Caledonia's indigenous Kanak population. As Macron makes a high-stakes visit to riot-struck New Caledonia, FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee is joined by Dr. Andrew Smith, Historian of modern France and Lecturer in Liberal Arts at Queen Mary University of London.