France-Vanuatu sovereignty dispute over Matthew and Hunter islands intensifies
Coverage centers on the escalating diplomatic dispute between Vanuatu and France over the uninhabited Matthew and Hunter islands (called Umaenupne and Umaeneg in local custom), which France has controlled since 1965. Vanuatu PM Jotham Napat accused France of "dragging its feet," postponing negotiations twice, and withholding historical documents underpinning its claim. President Macron pledged in 2023 to resolve the issue "by Christmas" and renewed the commitment in 2025, yet no settlement has been reached. French far-right figures like Marine Le Pen warn against ceding overseas territory, arguing it could trigger sovereignty claims elsewhere from Mexico to Madagascar.
Why it matters
France's vast overseas territories—including French Polynesia—underpin the world's largest EEZ (11 million sq km) and bolster its global power projection and UN Security Council standing. A precedent of ceding contested Pacific islands could ripple across France's far-flung holdings, including independence movements in New Caledonia and decolonization debates relevant to French Polynesia, which the UN re-listed as a non-self-governing territory in 2013.