Hyppolite Sinewami, President of New Caledonia's Great Council of Chiefs Inaat Ne Kanaky. Photo: RRB
A Kanak great chief has announced his resignation from New Caledonia's Customary Senate.
Hippolyte Sinewami Htamumu once presided over the 16-member traditional Senate of chiefs, which was set up as part of the implementation of the Nouméa Accord (signed in 1998).
Sinewami, in announcing his resignation, said he wanted to denounce what he termed "inefficiency" and the "politicisation" of the Senate.
The institution is presented as being dedicated to New Caledonia's indigenous Kanaks issues, including affairs related to customs, land and identity.
But Sinewami said one of the motivations leading to his resignation is that the Senate is not representative of all of New Caledonia's Chiefly areas; and that it is also too dependent on New Caledonia's government and its Congress (Parliament).
"So now, more or less, it is as if it was just a government department because we're depending on the government," he told public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première.
The 47-year-old chief also said the institution has remained "silent" since violent unrest and riots broke out in the French Pacific archipelago and are still ongoing since 13 May.
Sinewami, himself a Great Chief of the La Roche district (on Maré island, part of the Loyalty Islands group, north-east of New Caledonia's big island) is also the leader of an alternate Chiefly assembly, the Inaat ne Kanaky (Kanaky Great Council of Chiefs), which he set up late 2022.
He also said many in the indigenous Kanak community believe that "the trust is no longer there, whether at the level of the customary institutions or at the level of our politicians."
Widening rift
"I didn't see myself pursuing the work I have started with the youths while still being a member of such an institution," he said, putting emphaisis on what is locally described as a widening rift within the Customary Senate.
He called for New Caledonia's institutions to ensure decisions made on the traditional level are "taken into account", including in future political talks on New Caledonia's long-term future.
A "Kanak people's general assembly" is scheduled to be held on 24 September, which, symbolically, is also the date (in 1853) when France officially "took possession" of the archipelago.
Future talks: challenging politicians and France
Sinewami told local media that in view of the September meeting, his Inaat Ne Kanaky movement was now working to "reaffirm and reappropriate" Kanak rights.
"So September 24 is the declaration of sovereignty of the chiefdoms...This includes challenging the (French) state and even our elected politicians here, so that there is a place for our traditional people in future discussions.
"It is important that our voice is represented."