In an interview with the public television channel Nouvelle-Calédonie La 1ère, recorded on Thursday during a 12-hour visit to the South Pacific archipelago, Macron justified the dispatch of 3,000 security forces with the need for a "return to calm". "The Republic must regain authority at all points. In France, it is not up to each individual to defend themselves," said the Head of State, referring to the militia groups that have organised the defence of districts in the capital of New Caledonia, Noumea. "There is a republican order, it is the security forces that ensure it," insisted Macron, assuring that he wanted to lead the archipelago back to the "path of appeasement". Today, at the end of his visit to the territory, the President of France announced the suspension of the electoral reform that triggered the revolt and caused at least six deaths. "After listening to everyone, I have undertaken that this reform will not come into force in the current context," said Macron in Noumea, quoted by the French news agency France-Presse. The Head of State said that he had given the parties "a few more weeks" to negotiate and undertook to present an interim report "within a month" on the institutional future of the archipelago. Macron also called for an end to roadblocks "in the coming hours" in order to lift the state of emergency in New Caledonia. Noumea's international airport will remain closed to commercial flights until 09:00 on Tuesday (22:00 on Monday in Lisbon), said the director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the French archipelago. La Tontouta airport has been closed to commercial flights since 14 May due to roadblocks. The reform approved by the National Assembly in Paris would extend the electorate for provincial elections to all natives of New Caledonia and residents for at least 10 years. Independence supporters believe that the extension could "further marginalise the indigenous Kanak people", who make up 41% of the population. The agreement defended by Macron should also include a plan to make the economy less dependent on nickel and "the question of a self-determination vote". New Caledonia is an archipelago located in Melanesia, about 1,200 kilometres east of Australia and 17,000 from Paris, with just over 270,000 inhabitants. The population voted in referendums on independence in 2018 and 2019, with the vote in favour of France being 56% and 53%, respectively. A third referendum in 2020 was boycotted by pro-independence forces, who considered that the vote should have been postponed due to the pandemic. Read Also: French president suspends electoral reform in New Caledonia (Portuguese version)