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Solomon Islands at risk of more unrest, PM warns
18 Sep 2006 03:05:34 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Rob Taylor

CANBERRA, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The Solomons Islands risks a repeat of ethnic clashes because an Australian-led security force sent to end unrest in the tiny nation has failed, Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said in a national radio address.

In his first comments since a row between Australia and the Solomons broke out over the expulsion of Canberra's top diplomat a week ago, Sogavare accused Canberra of diplomatic bullying.

He said the security force assembled by Australia had not done enough to deal with underlying problems in the country and was too focused on placing troops and police on the streets.

"Unless this trend is reversed now, we will be in danger of driving this country down the path of another conflict that could be more serious," he said in Sunday evening's address.

"Indeed, if the mere existence of law and order is a strategy to address peace in the Solomon Islands, then it's certainly failed us."

Since 2003, Australia has led a Pacific-wide aid mission to stamp out corruption and restore security in the Solomons after the country came close to collapse due to ethnic violence and mismanagement.

Nearly 400 troops and an extra 120 police from Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Papua New Guinea were rushed to the Solomons after national elections sparked riots in April which left the Chinatown of the capital, Honiara, in ruins.

NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE LOOMS

But relations with Australia have cooled since Sogavare expelled Canberra's ambassador, Patrick Cole, accusing him of undermining a government-ordered inquiry into the April riots.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard last week said Canberra wanted value for its A$840 million ($631 million) four-year aid package for the Solomons, including A$72 million in humanitarian aid this year.

In the wake of the row, Sogavare faces a no-confidence vote when the Solomons parliament resumes in two weeks.

He sent a letter to Howard complaining of "unacceptable interferences" in the inquiry, which Australia believes is designed to exonerate two jailed lawmakers and Sogavare allies accused of riot involvement.

Those concerns were backed by a secret cabinet document reported in Honiara newspapers on Monday which said Sogavare wanted the inquiry to end the police investigation into the pair.

Analyst Satish Chand, a Pacific expert at the Australian National University, said that without the Australian-led mission in the Solomons, known as RAMSI, law and order would almost certainly evaporate.

"That would not be in the interests of the Solomon Islands or the prime minister himself," he told Reuters.

Chand said Sogavare appeared to be painting Australia as an "enemy abroad" to bolster his popularity and chances of surviving the no-confidence vote. ($1=A$1.33)
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