Usual
Sad Scenario - Liberator Turned Dictator
posted 28th August 2000
GIZO,
Solomon Islands: Armed militiamen of the Malaita Eagle Force have
held up a Solomon Airlines flight bound for Southeast Guadalcanal
in the Solomon Islands and stolen all the cargo, including humanitarian
supplies. The raid took place on Monday at the Solomon Islands'
only international airport, Henderson, 12 kilometers east of the
countryšs capital, Honiara. Solomon Airlines officials yesterday
confirmed that armed thugs carried out the robbery of humanitarian
supplies. Most of the stolen cargo was medicine sent by Guadalcanal
women who travelled to Honiara after the signing of the cease-fire
agreement a fortnight ago.
Over
the past 20-months of the ethnic conflict in Honiara between the
Malaitan Eagle Force (MEF) and Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM), the
MEF cut-off services to the entire island of Guadalcanal. The MEF
blockade had put people of Guadalcanal in dire need of basic goods
like soap, salt, kerosene, cloths and medical supplies. Since the
signing of cease-fire between the MEF and IFM, some women of the
more than 50,000 population of Guadalcanal flocked to Honiara to
get basic needs. Following the looting of the air cargo, the Minister
of Culture, Tourism and Aviation, Johnson Koli, who is from the
same area, informed his people of the looting in a radio message.
According to the airline, the cargo was bound for the coastal domestic
airport of Avušavu, in the Hae-Marau area, about a 35-minute flight
from Henderson airport.
Prior
to the looting of the goods, the air services tried twice unsuccessfully
to airlift the cargo due to bad weather and poor conditions of the
Avušavu airport runway. The airlines confirmed that it was on the
third day that MEF armed militia turned up at the airport and held
the flight from taking-off and off-loaded it. The MEF militiamen
took the cargo and loaded their vehicles and left under heavy armed
escort back to their base at Lelei Resort, West Honiara. Solomon
Airlines officials confirmed yesterday that following the looting
it had been decided to cancel all scheduled flights to the coastal
domestic airport of Avušavu. The airlines took the precautionary
measure for fear of retaliation by the rival militia group, the
Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM) against the air services. Since yesterday,
the Solomon Islands government and the airlinesš management said
they have unsuccessfully negotiated with the militia to release
the cargo. The airlinesš management said it had done all it could
to but unable because the militia men had consistently refused to
cooperate.
The
MEF latest looting followed similar sporadic daily robbery in Honiara
carried out by members of the Malaitan Provincial government backed
militia. Yesterday, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce,
Employment and Trade, Jeffery Wickham, confirmed that the MEF had
ransacked his house. The MEF stole everything in the house, included
louver blades, curtains, fridge, stove, cooking utensil, clothes,
television-set, stereo system, furniture and the family vehicle.
He said the reason for the looting of his property was purely on
the ground that he was from the Western Solomons. A fortnight ago,
the MEF engaged in an ethnic campaign of harassing and looting property
belonging to the people of Western Solomons and Choiseul Island
in Honiara. This follows the MEF claim that people of Western Solomons
and Choiseul Island had been harassing ethnic Malaitans in both
states. Western Solomons Police Commander, Aloysius Ora, strongly
refuted the claim and said the militia had only used the allegation
to legitimize their criminal activities in Honiara.
But
although the Western Solomons police had strongly refuted the basis
of the MEF action, it did not deter the daily looting and criminal
activities targeted on people of both states. Early this week, the
MEF stripped to the ground a property in Honiara belonging to a
popular local musician from the Western Solomons, Ninamo Otuana.
The only sign of the house, located few kilometers from the Headquarters
of the Solomon Islands Police Force and the Rove Market in West
Honiara, were the posts. Since yesterday, the situation in Honiara
has been reported to be quietened down with the exception of sporadic
robbery of properties in and around town. Early this week, the Archbishop
of the Catholic Church in the Solomons, Archbishop Adrian Smith,
expressed disappointment over the MEF looting of two vehicles from
his property. The MEF daily hijacking of vehicles and looting of
property in Honiara had caused a wide spread fear amongst the business
community and civilians society. It reported that the daily MEF
roadblocks are still intact and the biggest threat now in Honiara
has been the presence of armed militia.
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posters with messages that demand jobs and an end to poverty.
These foot-soldiers are mobilisi
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