Fiji, Nov. 3 -- Pacific civil society organisations have condemned the European Union's nickel agreement with the Government of Kanaky New Caledonia, warning that the deal risks deepening colonial exploitation by excluding Kanak people from decisions over their ancestral lands and resources.

The groups say the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on critical raw minerals, recently signed between the EU and the New Caledonian Government, raises serious questions about Indigenous self-determination, resource sovereignty and who benefits from the territory's nickel industry.

They argue that while the EU is seeking to secure critical minerals for its industries, the Kanak people continue to face an unfinished decolonisation process under Frenc...