PM Jacinda Arden says 65 personnel due to join international mission, from Australia, Fiji and Papa New Guinea, already on the ground.
Solomon Islands, New Zealand| New Zealand’s government says it will send dozens of peacekeepers to the Solomon Islands after a request for help from the crisis-hit country following a week of deadly riots.
The move announced on Wednesday followed similar deployments by Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea aimed at restoring calm after peaceful protests calling for the removal of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare turned violent last week in the capital, Honiara.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said an initial force of 15 members of the New Zealand Defense Force and the police would be sent to Honiara on Thursday to help stabilize the situation, with another 50 joining them over the weekend. She added that the security forces would work with Solomon’s police and about 200 regional peacekeepers already on the ground as part of the Australia-led mission.
“We are deeply concerned by the recent civil unrest and rioting in Honiara, and following yesterday’s request of the Solomon Islands Government, we have moved quickly to provide urgent assistance to help restore sustained peace and security,” Ardern said in a statement.
Ardern said the New Zealanders were well equipped to deal with dangerous situations: “Every deployment brings its risks and challenges but our people have vast experience in the Pacific region and are amongst some of the most highly skilled when it comes to de-escalating conflict,” she said.
Officials in Australia insist the deployment will only last “a matter of weeks” and that its focus is on policing, not intervening in the Solomon’s’ political situation.
New Zealand also took part in another Australian-led peacekeeping mission in the Solomons from 2003 to 2017.
Source: Al jazeera and other internet sources
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