Solomon Islands: Malaita province unhappy over presence of Australian troops, as Fiji joins peacekeeping efforts
- An aide to the premier of Malaita province – the source of protesters of last week’s riots – says the presence of Australian troops sends a ‘strong moral boost to PM Sogavare’, who in 2019 chose to recognise China instead of Taiwan
- Meanwhile, the Red Cross says food is becoming scarce in the crisis-hit nation and that the Chinese community is keeping a low profile after being targeted
The Solomon Islands’ most populous province, the source of anti-government protesters who waged a fiery protest in the capital Honiara last week, is unhappy Australia has sent in police and soldiers at the request of the Pacific island nation’s prime minister, a provincial political aide has told Reuters.
Dozens of buildings were burned down and shops looted in the capital’s Chinatown as protests against Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare turned to rioting in which four people died.
The arrival of 100 Australian police and soldiers on Friday, and a contingent of 50 from Papua New Guinea to support overwhelmed local police, has largely restored calm but tensions remain high.
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Australian troops and police deployed to Solomon Islands amid general unrest and Chinatown blaze
Fiji on Monday also deployed an initial 50 Fijian troops to maintain law and order, lifting the number of peacekeepers to about 200. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said another 120 troops were on standby if the security situation deteriorated.
Many of the protesters were from Malaita province, which has a history of disputes with Guadalcanal province where the national government is based, and which opposed the switch by Sogavare’s government in 2019 to formally recognise China instead of Taiwan. Malaita’s premier Daniel Suidani has banned Chinese companies from the province and accepted development aid from the United States.
A political adviser to Suidani said in an interview on Monday that Suidani was unhappy with the arrival of Australian police and soldiers amid a political crisis.
“Their presence on the ground gives a very strong moral boost to Prime Minister Sogavare and his government. They are here at the invitation of Sogavare – how can you be neutral?” said the adviser, Celsus Talifilu, by phone from Malaita province.