FLNKS rift over Libya

By monumental mistiming last month, Yann Celene Uregei, foreign minister in the pro visional Kanak “government” of New Caledonia, tossed his movement into the world-wide uproar stirred by Libya’s Colonel Gaddafi and his en thusiastic espousal of murder, mayhem and terrorism.

In the midst of world-wide outrage with Libya and Colonel Gaddafi, Uregei had announced he would lead a FLNKS delegation to a confer ence in Tripoli of liberation movements, including the PLO and, reportedly also, “Abu Nidal” the man who mas ter-minded the recent appall ing guerrilla attacks on Rome and Vienna airports.

It was a time when Presi dent Reagan was talking about a punitive expedition into Libya, and demanding sanctions against “the lunatic Gaddafi.’’The Australian papers which quoted Uregei on his plans to attend the conference concurrently car ried headlines like; “We are ready for war, says Gaddafi.."

Australian foreign minister, Bill Hayden, was worried enough to summon the Libyan representative and acquaint him with Australia’s concern that terrorism should not be introduced into the Pacific.

But it was at home that the biggest slap was delivered to Uregei. The largest of the independence movements in New Caledonia, the Union Caledonienne, led by FLNKS chief, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, im mediately issued a statement disowning the whole Libyan idea. The FLNKS would not participate in the Libyan con ference, they said.

Yann Uregei had not con sulted the Bureau Politique of the Front about his plans and had made the arrangements without authority.

Historically Union Caledo nienne’s strength within the F.L.N.K.S. has been such that, for the most part, its voice has been taken to be that of the F.L.N.K.S. But rumblings have been heard from the smaller partners about the

“domination” of the Union Caledonienne. A row in the last FLNKS congress led to the restructuring of some com mittees to give a wider sharing of decision-making. But with Uregei now demonstrating his greater militancy these calls for power might be expected to grow louder.

On the face of it there is now a considerable rift, involving the face of their leaders, be tween Tjibaou’s Union Cale donienne and Uregei’s FULK.

There is no evidence in New Caledonia, yet, of a para military elite operating from within the FLNKS and one might doubt that it will ever develop. The only deve lopment in that area has been on the French side, with the recent bombings of cars and buildings.

Uregei’s claim is that he does not have to check with the FLNKS Bureau Politique on foreign policy. He says the fourth FLNKS congress at Oundjo gave him a mandate to control all that. Clearly Tjibaou is very sensitive to the international image of the FLNKS for he knows that he must overcome the very powerful lobby operated by the French government, and appear to be both reasonable and moderate if he is to have the kind of support he needs for his push towards inde pendence.

Uregei despite his “portfolio” is much less sensitive, and is now in the position of learning by bitter experience the tough rules of international relation ships.

The upset has generated a wave of negative publicity for the FLNKS, spoiling the gen erally very good international image of the Kanak independ ence movement.

Meantime, Uregei is pro ceeding to ignore opinion at home and abroad. He said the whole issue of the Libyan congress would be discussed by FULK at its congress {January 16 to 19). He was then to decide whether FULK sent a delegation to Libya.