Commonwealth establishes permanent presence in Solomon Islands
26 May 2000
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon announced today in Honiara, Solomon Islands, that the Commonwealth Secretariat would maintain a permanent presence in Solomon Islands at least until the end of the year. Professor Ade Adefuye, the Secretary-General's representative, will be based in Honiara and will monitor developments in the peace process in an attempt to help resolve some of the issues and reduce the level of tension in the Solomon Islands.
The Commonwealth has been concerned about the violence and ethnic tensions in the Solomon Islands for some time and appointed former Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in June 1999 as Commonwealth Special Envoy to the Solomon Islands. Professor Adefuye has been working closely with Sitiveni Rabuka, and has developed a good working relationship with the government, key players in the conflict and the citizens of Honiara.
Secretary-General McKinnon warned, however, that Professor Adefuye will still need the support of those people of Solomon Islands who want to see the peace process continued and for peace to be ultimately re-established. He also called upon the militant groups in the Solomon Islands to lay down their arms, do what they can to reduce tension, and to commit themselves to living peacefully with their neighbours.
The Governments of Australia and New Zealand are supporting this initiative.
00/43 26 May 2000
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