Fiji yesterday joined an international peacekeeping force keeping a lid on simmering tensions in the riot-hit Solomon Islands, as the Red Cross warned of food shortages in the Pacific nation’s devastated capital.
Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama deployed an initial 50 troops to maintain law and order in the wake of deadly anti-government protests, lifting the number of peacekeepers to about 200 — mostly Australian with a contribution of at least 34 from Papua New Guinea.
Bainimarama said that another 120 troops were on standby if the security situation deteriorated in Honiara, where a massive cleanup was under way after the unrest that claimed at least three lives.
Photo: AFP
“I also wish to take this moment to convey my thoughts and prayers to our brothers and sisters in Solomon Islands for the turmoil they are currently experiencing,” the Fijian leader said.
The Solomons crisis erupted on Wednesday last week when protests over government policies turned violent, fueled by poverty, unemployment and inter-island rivalries in the nation of 800,000.
After trying to storm parliament, mobs ran amok for three days, reducing much of the Chinatown area to smoldering rubble and attempting to torch Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s home.
Solomon Islands Red Cross secretary general Clement Manuri said that Honiara was quiet, but tense yesterday as residents continued to tidy the streets.
Manuri said food was becoming scarce in the capital and aid agencies were assessing whether they needed to distribute emergency supplies.
“We’re having meetings now with the NDMO [National Disaster Management Office],” he said. “It’s not clear, but soon, in certain crowded places, maybe they’ll run out of food.”
Rioters burned and looted Chinese businesses during the unrest and Manuri said that meant most of the stores where people bought food staples had been destroyed.
He said the Chinese community was keeping a low profile after being targeted and had no immediate plans to reopen their shops.
“They’ve scattered and are staying with friends,” he said. “They’re in shock and the priority right now is getting accommodation.”
Rioters focused on the Chinese community partly due to the government’s switch of diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China in 2019, a move that angered some communities in the aid-dependent nation.
The Solomon Islands Chinese Association condemned the “senseless” violence, saying the community had more than 70 years of history in the islands.
“Many Chinese individuals and families have lost literally everything and are also homeless,” it said in a statement cited by local media.
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