French President Emmanuel Macron publicly asked residents of New Caledonia on Tuesday to lift the barricades that had closed roads for the past month, following widespread and violent unrest.

According to French media, Macron called the situation “unacceptable” after condemning it and called for “the firm and definitive lifting of all blockades.”

Local media circulated a letter by Macron calling on New Caledonians to engage in dialogue.

“It always takes longer to build than to destroy,” he was cited as saying, stressing the need for constructive efforts toward resolution.

Massive protests and rallies broke out on the Pacific archipelago on May 13 after a voting reform that would allow non-native long-term residents of the island to participate in local polls.

The Indigenous Kanaks on the archipelago, driven by the fact that the move would dilute their input on decisions on their native lands, led demonstrations against the French government.

Reform plan suspended

The territory is located more than 17,000 kilometers from mainland France in the southern Pacific Ocean and is comprised of several islands, yet Paris has relentlessly asserted its right over the territories.

After deploying troops under the guise of police control in the South Pacific territories, Macron has suspended the reform plan.

Macron justified the decision by stating “ambiguity” ahead of the French elections, adding that it was to prioritize “dialogue in the field and restoring the order.”

“I have pledged that this reform won’t be pushed through with force today in the current context and that we are giving ourselves a few weeks to allow for calm, the resumption of dialogue, with a view to a global agreement,” he said two weeks ago.