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Solomon Islands 2011_CIC_3.qxd:Peacekeeping_FM_qxd.qxd 1/18/11 6:09 PM Page 96 3.9 Solomon Islands As 2010 progressed, so did the develop- the Participating Police Force forms the civil- ment of the Solomon Islands’ capacity for ian police force; and the government support economic sustainability, rule of law, and gov- branch is staffed with advisers for governance, ernment accountability and service. Support justice, and economic development. for all three areas of development falls under the mandate of the Regional Assistance Mis- sion in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), and Background with this progress the support organization has Despite its presence being at the request of the effectively continued to transition from the ini- Solomon Islands government, there have in tial focus of its mission, peacekeeping, to one the past been tensions between RAMSI and the of capacity building and playing an advisory government. The intentions of the heavily Aus- role. tralian RAMSI were called into question by the RAMSI was formed by the Pacific Island anti-RAMSI administration of prime minister Forum and deployed on 24 July 2003 at the re- Monnasseh Sogavare. Relations between the quest of the government of the Solomon Is- government and RAMSI quickly improved lands as a regional response to a five-year con- after a vote of “no confidence” in the Sogavare flict (1998–2003) between the Malatians and administration and the subsequent election of Guale ethnic groups. RAMSI successfully pro- prime minister Derek Sikua in 2007. The elec- vided security and facilitated the surrender of tion of the pro-RAMSI Sikua administration criminal gangs supported by both groups en- acted as a positive public referendum on the gaged in the conflict. In addition to peacekeep- presence of RAMSI and its partnership with ing, RAMSI’s mandate includes a tripartite key government stakeholders. mission of assisting the government: to estab- lish and maintain law enforcement and an inde- pendent judiciary; to foster economic develop- Key Developments ment; and to ensure methods of governance In 2010, RAMSI focused on building the ca- accountable to Solomon Islanders. RAMSI has pacity of the Solomon Islands government to worked with the government to improve the form and maintain its own legal and economic reputation of the Royal Police Force (RSIPF) institutions, and RAMSI has thus established a through improved training and oversight, fo- more advisory level of support, providing guid- cusing on eliminating corruption, establishing ance as the government increases its capacity accountability, and emphasizing professional- for governance. Additionally, RAMSI Special ism. In 2009, the government and RAMSI es- Coordinator Wilson encouraged the people of the tablished a new framework, emphasizing devel- Solomon Islands to take advantage of the Truth opment in the provinces outside the Solomon and Reconciliation Commission, which con- Island capital of Honiara. ducted its first hearings in March 2010. The RAMSI has three branches, supervised by commission is an attempt to enable Solomon Is- the special coordinator, Graeme Wilson. The landers to air their grievances and experiences of Combined Task Force forms the military branch; corruption and intimidation that were perpetrated 96 2011_CIC_3.qxd:Peacekeeping_FM_qxd.qxd 1/18/11 6:09 PM Page 97 SOLOMON ISLANDS • 97 by members of the government prior to 2003. The commission’s goals also include the reso- Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) lution of ethnic tensions and their underlying roots in land-use issues. Authorization Date 23 October 2000 On 4 August 2010, the Solomon Islands (Pacific Islands Forum Communiqué) held national elections for only the second time Start Date July 2003 since RAMSI began its mission. RAMSI and HeadofMission GraemeWilson(Australia) the RSIPF were largely successful in maintain- Budget $42.5 million ing peace during this historically tumultuous (1 July 2010–30 June 2011) event for Solomon Islanders. The recent elec- Strength as of Troops: 150 tions were relatively tame, with 508 candidates 30 September 2010 Civilian Police: 305 competing for 50 parliamentary seats. On 24 Civilian Staff: 134 August, a former foreign minister, Danny Philip, successfully led a political coalition to defeat the Democratic Party candidate, Steve Abana, in a tight election. Philip, the new prime minister, being investigated; it has, however, stoked anti- is supported by the political party of former prime RAMSI sentiment, not only as a result of the minister Sogavare, a vocal critic of RAMSI, shooting itself but also due to the immunity ex- and Philip’s election may have implications for tended to RAMSI personnel in legal matters. the future relationship between RAMSI and the In 2011, undoubtedly the level of coopera- government. tion between the Philip government and RAMSI RAMSI’s reputation took a hit with the ac- will have direct implications for the continued cidental shooting of a Solomon Islander by a progress of the Solomon Islands’ political and RAMSI soldier on the outskirts of Honiara dur- economic development. ing the week of the elections. The shooting is.
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