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N'Makiaute (Vanuatu)

Malakula island secessionist movement

3:5 image by Ralf Stelter and Olivier Touzeau, 5 April 2021

Description

See also:

Secessionist Islands (Vanuatu)
Vanuatu

Description

In the Flags of Aspirant Peoples chart appears "173. N'Makiaute (Malekula island separatists, 1980) - Vanuatu." Vertically divided blue over green with a large white stripe as second diagonal. A yellow stylized bird (?) in canton.
Ivan Sache, 17 September 1999

The original source is in fact Lupant 1991, where my article The Flag of N'Makiaute —which also appeared in Flaggenforum— about this flag appeared. In 1990 Michel Lupant asked me about the flag of N'Makiaute, and I remembered I had made notes of a TV report about Vanuatu in 1980, where I had seen some flags. Michel gave me the routes, as the report had been "quite fast". The result of comparing my rather confused sketches with Michel's notes was that we received a copy of that TV report with lots of flags. My drawing in Lupant 1991 is very accurate.

The N'Makiaute flag was in proportions of 3:5. The flag bore a bird of paradise in stylized silhouette, and a diagonal stripe not touching the upper and lower edges of the flag. The illustration on the Flags of Aspirant Peoples chart is correct.
Ralf Stelter, 10-13 December 2000

Source: From the New Hebrides to Vanuatu: A Vexillological Excursion], by Michel Lupant – 14th International Congress of Vexilology, Barcelona - 30 June-5 July 1991
http://internationalcongressesofvexillology-proceedingsandreports.yolasite.com/resources/14th_Barcelona/02%20Lupant.pdf [Lup91]

On June 30, a group of independentists proclaimed the state of N'MAKIAUTE in the north of Malekula. Their flag is sky blue on the hoist, green on the fly, the two colors are separated by a white diagonal. In the canton, a bird of paradise, in yellow. This flag was hoisted in the presence of French soldiers, but before the French flag. He was reportedly brought in on July 24.
It can be seen on a photo taken in Norsup, north of Malekula, published in "Info 25", tweed jaargang-1 augustus 1980. Vlaggen Dokumentatie Centrum Nederland, communication from Derkwillem Visser Jr. A joint Franco-British force of 200 men went to Santo on July 24 and settled in the city, restoring the authority of the central government and demanding the reopening of the dialogue between the secessionists and the government of Pastor W. Lini.

image located by Jaume Ollé, 15 April 2022

An important document may be the only photo known of the flag of N'Makiaute. The republic was short-lived, proclaimed in the north of Malekula on 30 June 1980, and dissolved by the French on 24 July 1980. In the photo we can see also another flag that must be the flag of the Vemarana, but notice that N'Makiaute proclaimed its independence from New Hebrides, out of the State of Vemerana.
Jaume Ollé, 15 April 2022