BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 7. On July 6, 2026, at
the initiative of the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), an online
meeting was held to discuss the results of the regional elections
held in Kanak–New Caledonia.


According to the BIG's press service, the event was attended by
representatives from Kanak–New Caledonia, Réunion, Mayotte, the
Union of the Comoros, and French Guiana, all of which suffer from
French colonial policies.


During the discussions, Jean-Baptiste Dialle, a representative
of the Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation (FLNKS) who
advocates for the independence of Kanak–New Caledonia, stated that
the election results were a success for independence
supporters.


At the same time, representatives of the Kanak people noted with
regret that, as a result of the French government’s policies, trust
in the electoral process has declined among a part of the
population, and hopes that the path to independence can be secured
exclusively through elections have noticeably weakened. For this
reason, the local community did not participate very actively in
the voting.


According to Orlan Taristas, a representative of the “Ka Ubuntu”
party, which advocates for Réunion’s independence, the success of
independence supporters in Kanak–New Caledonia takes on special
significance against the backdrop of serious concerns regarding the
transparency of the electoral process, stemming from the actions of
the French government in Paris.


Former political prisoner and activist in the Kanak–New
Caledonia independence movement, Dimitri Genegey, called the
elections a success and described them as the next step in the
struggle for freedom.


During the meeting, organized at the initiative of the BIG, a
symbolic flash mob was held in support of the Kanaks and the
candidates who won the regional elections on June 28. Participants
chanted slogans such as “Freedom for the Kanaks,”
“Congratulations,” and other expressions of support.


In conclusion, the meeting participants expressed their
gratitude to the Baku Initiative Group for keeping the struggle of
peoples suffering under French colonialism in the international
spotlight, for the support it has provided, and for its messages of
solidarity.


Meanwhile, the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) is an international
non-governmental organization headquartered in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Established on July 6, 2023, during a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
ministerial meeting, BIG advocates for decolonization, human
rights, and self-determination.