Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Minister of Defence Peeni Henare today announced the extension of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) deployment to Solomon Islands, as part of the Pacific-led Solomon Islands International Assistance Force (SIAF).
- “Aotearoa New Zealand and Solomon Islands have an enduring and long-standing partnership,” Nanaia Mahuta said.
- “Today I met with Solomon Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Jeremiah Manele via Zoom to discuss the depth of our cooperation as well as the extension of our deployment to Solomon Islands.
“Our partnership promotes peace not only through security cooperation, but also by addressing economic challenges, climate change and a range of other development needs we face as a region.
“New Zealand will continue to work in partnership to weather the profound challenges that face our region, as we have through COVID-19 and last year’s unrest in Honiara.
“We are committed to supporting security in Solomon Islands and promoting a peaceful, prosperous and resilient Pacific region.
“The Pacific-led SIAF is a great example of the success of Pacific whānau working collectively to meet our region’s security needs, underpinned by the principle of Tātou Tātou (all of us together) in a regional conversation,” Nanaia Mahuta said.
“As I outlined last year when announcing my Defence Priorities, the Pacific is a priority area for Defence, which is why it is important that NZDF personnel continue to operate, alongside their New Zealand Police colleagues, as part of the SIAF and support the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to maintain peace and stability through community engagement,” Peeni Henare said.
“As part of our ongoing security partnership with Solomon Islands, we have therefore extended the deployment of NZDF personnel for 12 months, to be reviewed by 31 May 2023.”
The SIAF comprises personnel from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea deployed to Honiara from late November 2021 to support the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in restoring peace and stability following a period of civil unrest. The SIAF has since continued to support the RSIPF to maintain peace and stability including through community engagement and reassurance.
“Our region faces a range of complex security challenges, including climate change and increased economic vulnerability as a result of COVID-19. Addressing these challenges requires sustained investment across the breadth of our region’s development priorities. Aotearoa New Zealand’s deployment to Solomon Islands is one element of our support towards the Pacific’s long-term resilience,” Nanaia Mahuta said.
The New Zealand Police remain in Solomon Islands providing capacity building support to their RSIPF colleagues.
Solomon Islands looks like it will be the future flash point for the South Pacific region.
Dangerous game. Fiji has a relationship with Russia and China. Many other Pacific Island nations have a close relationship with China. NZ & Australia have just realised they’ve really dropped the ball when it comes to intelligence in the South Pacific region, considered unimportant and insignificant maybe? Even in the Cook Islands the two major parties are both aligned with China, this has been the case since at least 2009.
The West continues to lose friends at an ever-increasing rate. The hypocrisy is blinding to the other 85% of the worlds population, we no longer hold the moral high ground. The recent example of confiscating Russian assets has sent a clear message to other nations that would dare oppose the Western powers. Other nations understood the message loud and clear, the West can no longer be trusted. When you can no longer be trusted, losing friends should be expected. Either way, NZ vassal state!
The real intention is NOT to help Solomon Islanders at all. Both Australia and NZ had decades to help this island nation and develop them. Both countries were having colonial mentality and Solomon Islanders were never equal to Aussies or kiwis. Solomon Island was treated as some low class, low income country who relies on handouts and other help. In the past, much of the good work was done by Church and other religious groups and not by the governments. In the modern woke world, service oriented religious relationships are actively discouraged. Americans used religious organisations for political purposes installing their own spies too. As a result, this path of enuring trust and harmony was sealed. The same is true with with the new NGO organisations which were created by CIA to create internal conflicts and regime changes. In other words, the Solomon Islanders knew they were being used, and no real improvement in their daily lifes. West also gets involved with one group for their divide and rule policy and it does not really play a fatherly role to smaller nations.
Solomon island is far away from both Australia and NZ. If China signs a new security & co-op treaty, which was originally with Taiwan, both Australian and NZ leaders are upset and claim that the security status in the Pacific is threatened. How about Americans funding and training Ukranians for the last 10 years, and spreading Russophobia? Eastern Ukranians were subjugated and several thousand civilians were killed by the neo-nazis. Biolabs etc were funded for waging a proxy war and weakening Russia. Both NZ and Australia did not think that Ukraine is becoming a security threat to Russia. The level of hypocrisy & lack of self awareness in foreign policy is unbelievable.
The truth of the matter is SI was strategically important during WWII to block supplies to Japan. If any war breaks out between China and US, the supply route can be blocked by US if they have SI in their pocket. US is a war mongering country. The big Military Industrial complex and Pharma are the life line for their hegemony. So it should not be surprising for China to protect itself in the south China sea. The word Pacific is less relevant here. The whole saga proves that we do not have a fair, co-operative independent foreign policy.
Australia/NZ aid to Solomon Island is like sending their used clothing to them. China gives them new clothing and not used. This is were the difference lies.