People in the French territory of New Caledonia are set to vote on whether to become independent from France on Sunday.
The referendum comes just over 30 years after another vote was boycotted by the indigenous Kanak people, who believed it was rigged, and ended in political violence.
This time around, France – as the colonial power and the organiser of the vote – is determined the referendum is seen as fair and, above all, the aftermath peaceful.
Al Jazeera’s Andrew Thomas reports from Ouvea in New Caledonia.
