New Caledonia, a French territory in the Pacific, has voted against independence, and will continue to be governed by France.
A referendum was held on Sunday, with an overwhelming majority saying they preferred to not become independent.
Voter turnout was low, with only about 44% of registered voters making their voice heard. Of these some 96.5% rejected independence.
However, the ballot was boycotted by the Kanak people, the dependency’s indigenous inhabitants, who make up about 40% of the population. They had wanted the referendum to be postponed until next year because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the elaborate mourning rituals which are customary for the Kanak, sometimes carrying on for as long as a year.
About 30% of the population are of European descent, 11% of mixed ancestry, with the remainder being made up of a number of different groups, including Indonesians, Vietnamese, and people from other parts of Melanesia.
As part of an agreement between New Caledonia and Paris on increased autonomy for the former, this was the third election on independence held since 2018.
All three referendums have now rejected independence.