HONIARA (SIBC/PINA) — Solomon Islands police have been alerted about a possible re-eruption of armed conflict between Honiara’s Fishing Village community and an ex-militant group.
Police liaison officer Charles Lemoa says they are yet to establish why the ex-militants would again want to confront the Fishing Village community because compensation was already paid to settle a previous dispute.
This erupted when a member of the Fishing Village shot and wounded members of the ex-militant group who were demanding compensation at the village. Both the Fishing Village community and the ex-militant group are Malaitans.
Armed members of the ex-militant group took up position near the village—on the road from Honiara to the airport—for an entire day. The villagers gave a compensation package of five shell money and Sol$5,800 to end the confrontation.
Some people at the Fishing Village have reportedly evacuated their families because of the threat of another armed confrontation.
The tensions come amid a new campaign to get ex-militants to hand in their weapons under an amnesty program. This is part of the peace process following the two years of ethnic conflict. Hundreds of high-powered weapons have still not been turned in despite the peace agreement.
