MOSCOW

Allegations by France that Azerbaijan has connections to the leaders of New Caledonia's independence movement are "unacceptable," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada said on Thursday

At a news conference in the capital Baku, Hajizada called on France to end its "smear campaign" as he strongly condemned the accusations leveled by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on earlier on Thursday.

"We once again strongly condemn the insulting statements of the French side against Azerbaijan and call for an end to the smear campaign with unacceptable accusations," he said.

Hajizada urged the French minister to pay attention to the history of France's "crimes against humanity against local peoples and the brutal murder of millions of innocent people as part of its colonial policy over the years."

"Instead of accusing Azerbaijan of allegedly supporting the independence protests in New Caledonia, the French Interior Minister should have focused on his country's failed policy towards overseas territories, which led to such protests," he emphasized.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Wednesday announced the deployment of additional French forces on the French-ruled south Paicific island of New Caledonia. He said they would move to secure ports and the island's sole airport.

The unrest was sparked by a constitutional review initiated by Darmanin that would allow French nationals who have lived on the island uninterruptedly for the past 10 years to vote in New Caledonia's local elections.

Indigenous locals fear that the changes will dilute their vote. Four people have died and hundreds arrested over three days of violent protests on the island, according to French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc.