New Caledonia

France has agreed terms with Pacific leaders seeking a fact-finding mission to riot-crippled territory New Caledonia, the French ambassador to the Pacific said at a regional summit Thursday.

The 18-nation Pacific Islands Forum, which counts French territory New Caledonia as a member, has been seeking to visit the archipelago in an effort to resolve months of deadly violence.

Seven independence activists linked to a group accused of orchestrating deadly riots last month in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia have been sent to mainland France for pre-trial detention, a local prosecutor said on Sunday.

France's president made a long-haul trip to the restive Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Thursday, urging a "return to peace" after deadly rioting, and vowing thousands of military reinforcements will be deployed for "as long as necessary".

French forces launched a "major operation" on Sunday to regain control of a key road linking New Caledonia's capital Noumea to the main international airport, after a sixth night of violent unrest.

The French Pacific territory of New Caledonia was "calmer" Friday, local authorities said, after reinforcements arrived to quell days of riots over voting reform that have left five dead and hundreds injured.

Azerbaijan on Thursday rejected French accusations of "interference" in New Caledonia, the Pacific territory hit by deadly pro-independence riots in recent days.

"We completely reject the baseless accusations," Azerbaijan's foreign ministry spokesman Ayhan Hajizadeh said. "We refute any connection between the leaders of the struggle for freedom in Caledonia and Azerbaijan."

Three people were killed as violent protests and looting rock New Caledonia, leading to the arrest of 140 people in and around the capital overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Protests rock the French Pacific archipelago as Paris adopted the constitutional reform that angered pro-independence forces.

New Caledonia's high commissioner said Tuesday that shots had been fired at security forces during a night of riots in the French Pacific territory that saw vehicles torched and shops looted.

"There have been no deaths," High Commissioner of the Republic Louis Le Franc told reporters, adding that "shots were fired at the gendarmes using high calibre weapons and hunting rifles".

Islanders on the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Sunday rejected independence in a referendum that revealed weaker-than-expected support for Paris in the resource-rich and strategic outpost.