France accuses Azerbaijan of meddling in the recent unrest in New Caledonia, a French territory in the Pacific, for a couple of reasons:
Alleged Disinformation Campaign: France believes Azerbaijan is behind a propaganda effort that fueled the violence. This includes reports of social media posts and appearances of Azerbaijani flags alongside Kanak independence symbols at protests.
History of Supporting Anti-Colonial Movements: Azerbaijan has been a vocal critic of French colonialism, particularly regarding its overseas territories. President Aliyev has called France “neo-colonialist” and established the Baku Initiative Group, supporting independence movements in former French colonies, including New Caledonia.
New Caledonia has a long-standing independence movement, and a proposed voting law seen as discriminatory against the indigenous Kanak population sparked the recent violence. France claims Azerbaijan is exploiting these tensions for its own agenda.
However, it’s important to note that:
Azerbaijan Denies Involvement: Azerbaijan strongly refutes these accusations, calling them baseless.
Unclear Evidence: There’s no concrete proof directly linking Azerbaijan to the violence.
The situation highlights the complex relationship between France and its former colonies, along with growing tensions between France and Azerbaijan.
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