France's Macron flies to New Caledonia in bid to quell remote Pacific territory's "unprecedented insurrection"

Noumea — France's president held a flurry of meetings with local representatives in the restive Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Thursday, urging calm after deadly rioting, and vowing thousands of military reinforcements will stay in place to quell what he called an "unprecedented insurrection."

Emmanuel Macron arrived Thursday in the capital Noumea after a 24-hour flight to seek ways to end more than a week of looting, arson and clashes that have left six people dead and hundreds injured. The unrest erupted over a French voting reform plan that indigenous Kanaks say will dilute their voice.

As he exited the plane at Tontouta International Airport, the French leader told reporters his "absolute priority" is "a return to peace, calm, security."