France, Nov. 9 -- France's overseas minister Naima Moutchou faces a tough debut in New Caledonia, where economic hardship and political tensions are testing Paris's resolve to rebuild trust in the South Pacific territory.

France's new minister for the overseas territories,Naima Moutchou, begins a four-day visit to New Caledonia on Monday with a double mission - to restart long-stalled political dialogue and to take stock of an economy still reeling from last year's unrest.

Her trip comes at a delicate moment for the South Pacific archipelago, which has been mired in an unprecedented financial crisis since the violent riots of 2024.

The turmoil caused billions of euros in damage, sent the local economy into freefall and left deep scars ...