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New Caledonia has rejected an independence referendum that would have led it to cut ties with France.
The southwestern Pacific archipelago voted whether it wanted independence from France after a three-decade decolonization effort.
The “no” field won 53.26% of the vote, after provisional results previously showed that it was making progress.
It means that New Caledonia will now remain a French territory.
A supporter of independence stands near a flag of the Socialist National Liberation Front of Canaco
More than 180,000 voters were asked: “Do you want New Caledonia to obtain full sovereignty and become independent?”
Earlier on Sunday morning, partial results released by the French Ministry for overseas territories showed that the “no” vote had 52% support with 226 out of 304 polling stations counted.
The independence referendum was part of a process aimed at resolving tensions between the native Kanaks who want independence and those who want to maintain ties with France.
The vote was the final step in a process that began 30 years ago after years of violence between the two groups.
The Kanaks had once suffered from strict policies of segregation and the vote comes at a time when the legacy of colonialism is under scrutiny around the world.
Loyalists hold French national flags
A similar referendum took place two years ago, when 56.4% of voters chose to maintain the status quo.
Supporters of independence wanted all sovereign powers, including justice, police, army, currency, and foreign affairs, to be transferred from France to New Caledonia.
New Caledonia became French in 1853 under Emperor Napoleon III and was used as a prison colony for decades.
After World War II, it became an overseas territory and all Kanaks received French citizenship in 1957.
