Pacific / Business

Unrest in New Caledonia over planned sale of Vale nickel plant

05:02 am on 9 December 2020

There's unrest in New Caledonia over the planned sale of the Brazilian-owned Vale nickel plant - which is the region's costliest industrial installation.

There have been clashes between protestors and police this week with police firing teargas at protestors in central Noumea.

It all stems from the Brazilian mining giant - Vale which is trying to get out of financial losses and leaning towards a Swiss-led conglomerate which is opposed by local pro-independence and Kanak groups who want to be heard.

But even that's just the surface of a complex situation which our reporter Walter Zweifel has been following.

Walter what is the background to all this unrest?

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The police intervene to remove the roadblocks Photo: AFP