France Rushes Troops To New Caledonia Amid Riots Over Voting Law, Says Russia & Azerbaijan To Blame

France deployed additional police officers and gendarmes to crack down on unrest in the overseas territory of New Caledonia. The number of police and gendarmes on the French-ruled island was set to rise to 2,700 from 1,700 by the evening of May 17.
The move came after riots on the Paris-ruled Pacific Island territory resulted in five deaths and hundreds of arrests. Tensions remained high in Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia, as the French officials said areas of territory have “escaped” state control.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the government hoped to regain full control of events in the Pacific island "in the coming hours." On May 16, France's High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said the situation was relatively calm on the night. However, there were still points of confrontation and concern in Nouméa, Le Franc added. Operations to supply food and medicine to the public were to begin with teams, removing road barricades, according to Le Franc.