Baku Initiative Group congratulates supporters of Kanaky independence

The Baku Initiative Group (BIG) has congratulated the pro-independence forces of Kanaky–New Caledonia on the results of the provincial elections held on June 28.

The message was conveyed in a statement issued by the Baku Initiative Group in support of the forces advocating the independence of Kanaky–New Caledonia.

According to the statement, the official results clearly reflect the current political reality, with the pro-independence forces securing a decisive strategic and democratic victory over the archipelago's conservative and loyalist parties.

The statement noted that the elections were held under difficult conditions, amid tensions following the events of 2024, debates over the territory's future governance, propaganda by the French government, pressure from local colonial right-wing groups, and unilateral decisions to expand the electorate artificially. Despite the lifting of the electoral roll freeze and attempts to marginalize the voice of the indigenous people, the unity of the pro-independence forces secured 26 seats, reinforcing their political strength over the colonial forces and further strengthening their role in shaping the country's future governance.

The Baku Initiative Group welcomed what it described as the Kanak people's steadfast resistance, stating that the new political balance in the Congress of Kanaky–New Caledonia demonstrates that neither pressure nor the support of official Paris for the interests of descendants of colonial settlers can suppress the aspirations of the Kanak people for freedom.

The statement further said that the political setback suffered by the French-backed loyalist forces sends an important message to the colonial power and other French overseas territories: the right to self-determination is inalienable, and historical legitimacy ultimately prevails over colonial arrangements. It added that the issue is not France's internal matter but a decolonization question governed by international law.

The Baku Initiative Group reaffirmed its solidarity with the pro-independence forces of Kanaky–New Caledonia and with all those who peacefully advocate for the recognition of the right to self-determination and the completion of the decolonization process.