Pre-Crisis Phase (July 7, 1978-August 31, 1998): Solomon Islands achieved its independence from Britain and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations (CON) on July 7, 1978. Peter Kenilorea of the Solomon Islands United Party (SIUP) was elected prime minister on July 7, 1978. Solomon Mamaloni of the People’s Alliance Party (PAP) was elected prime minister on August 31, 1981. Parliamentary elections were held in November 1984, and Peter Kenilorea of the SIUP was elected prime minister on November 19, 1984. Ezekiel Alebua of the SIUP formed a government as prime minister on December 1, 1986. Parliamentary elections were held on February 22, 1989, and the PAP won 14 out of 38 seats in the parliament. Solomon Mamaloni of the PAP was elected prime minister by the parliament on March 28, 1989. Prime Minister Mamaloni resigned from the PAP on October 9, 1990. Prime Minister Mamaloni established the Group for National Unity and Reconciliation (GNUR) in April 1993. Parliamentary elections were held on May 26, 1993, and the GNUR won 21 out of 47 seats in the parliament. Francis Billy Hilly of the National Coalition Partners (NCP) was elected prime minister by a 24-23 margin in the parliament on June 18, 1993. Governor General Moses Pitakaka dismissed Prime Minister Hilly on October 13, 1994. Governor General Pitakaka appointed Solomon Mamaloni of the PAP/GNUR as interim prime minister on October 24, 1994, and Solomon Mamaloni was elected prime minister by the parliament on November 7, 1994. Parliamentary elections were held on August 6, 1997, and Bartholomew Ulafa’alu of the Solomon Islands Liberal Party (SILP) was elected prime minister on August 27, 1997.
Crisis Phase (September 1, 1998-October 18, 2000): Members of the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army (Isatabu Freedom Movement – IFM) attacked Malaitan settlers on Guadalcanal island beginning in September 1998. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) established a mission consisting of four personnel to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to individuals displaced by the violence beginning on June 14, 1999. On June 15, 1999, Governor General Sir Moses Pitakaka declared a state-of-emergency on Guadalcanal after some four individuals were killed in ethnic violence. Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa’alu requested assistance from the CON, which appointed Sitiveni Rabuka of Fiji as mediator in the dispute on June 17, 1999. Sitiveni Rabuka mediated the signing of the Honiara Peace Accord between the parties in Honiara, Solomon Islands on June 28, 1999. Amnesty International (AI) sent a two-member fact-finding mission to investigate human rights conditions beginning on September 13, 1999. The AI fact-finding mission issued a report on September 30, 1999, which suggested that there had been serious human rights abuses in the Solomon Islands. The CON established the Commonwealth Multinational Police Peace Monitoring Group (CMPPMG) consisting of 20 civilian police personnel from Fiji and Vanuatu to assist with “reducing tensions in Guadalcanal and facilitating the surrender of weapons by militants” beginning on October 25, 1999. The Commonwealth Multinational Police Assistance Group (CMPAG), which consisted of 24 civilian police personnel from Fiji and Vanuatu to “work with Solomon Islands police officers to re-establish law and order in Guadalcanal,” replaced the CMPPMG on February 1, 2000. The government banned the IFM and Malaitan Eagle Force (MEF) on February 28, 2000. Members of the IFM and MEF clashed in Honiara on May 9-10, 2000. The government lifted the ban on the IFM and MEF on May 16, 2000. Members of the MEF seized Prime Minister Bartholemew Ulufa’alu on June 5, 2000. CON Secretary-General Don McKinnon, Prime Minister John Howard of Australia, and Britain condemned the MEF on June 5, 2000. The CMPAG was disbanded on June 5, 2000. The European Union (EU) condemned the MEF on June 6, 2000. Members of the MEF and IFM clashed near Honiara beginning on June 6, 2000, but agreed to a temporary ceasefire on June 9, 2000. The CON established a four-member conciliation commission (Australia, Botswana, Malaysia, New Zealand) headed by Alexander Downer of Australia to the Solomon Islands on June 10, 2000. The Australian government deployed the naval ship Manoora and 200 troops near the islands on June 12, 2000. Prime Minister Bartholemew Ulufa’alu resigned on June 15, 2000, and Mannasseh Sogavare of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was elected prime minister by the parliament on June 30, 2000. Peter Baxter was appointed as special envoy to the Solomon Islands by the government of Australia on June 16, 2000. The parties agreed to end the political violence on August 4, 2000. The ICRC suspended its humanitarian mission on October 12, 2000. The CON conciliation commission facilitated the signing of a peace agreement between the parties in Townsville, Australia on October 18, 2000. More than 100 individuals were killed, and some 20,000 individuals were displaced during the crisis.
Post-Crisis Phase (October 19, 2000-April 21, 2003): Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and Cook Islands, and Vanuatu established the International Peace Monitoring Team (IPMT-Solomon Islands), which consisted of some 50 personnel headed by Simon Merrifield of Australia, to assist with the disarming of the IFM and MEF beginning on October 19, 2000. The Solomon Islands parliament approved legislation granting amnesty to members of the IFM and MEF on December 19, 2000. Selwyn Sake, a leader of the IFM, was killed near Honiara on September 26, 2001. Parliamentary elections were held on December 5, 2001, and the PAP won a plurality of 20 out of 50 seats in the parliament. On November 13, 2001, an International Election Observer Mission (IEOM), which consisted of a total of 72 observers headed by Graham Elson of Britain, was established to coordinate the monitoring of the parliamentary elections by several organizations and countries. The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), which was formerly the South Pacific Forum (SPF), established the Pacific Islands Forum Observer Group (PIFOG-Solomon Islands), which consisted of seven personnel headed by Maiava Iulai Toma of Samoa, to monitor the parliamentary elections on November 27-December 6, 2001. The CON sent five observers headed by Lucy Bogari to monitor the parliamentary elections. The European Parliament sent three observers to monitor the parliamentary elections from December 1 to December 9, 2001. The International Republican Institute (IRI) sent five observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. Japan sent five observers to monitor the parliamentary elections on December 2-9, 2001. New Zealand sent nine observers headed by Chris Carter to monitor the parliamentary elections. Sir Allan Kemakeza of the PAP was elected prime minister by the parliament on December 17, 2001. The IPMT was disbanded on June 25, 2002.
Crisis Phase (April 22, 2003-December 20, 2007): On April 22, 2003, Prime Minister Allan Kemakeza requested assistance from the Australian government to deal with a security and economic crisis. On July 24, 2003, the PIF deployed the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) in order to maintain law and order in the country. The RAMSI consisted of some 2,300 personnel, including some 1,860 peacekeeping troops, 115 military observers, and 325 civilian police from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Fiji, and ten other countries headed by a special coordinator (Nick Warner) from Australia (the largest contributor of military and police personnel to the mission). The ICRC established a mission to provide humanitarian assistance on Solomon Islands beginning on July 24, 2003. Harold Keke, leader of the Guadalcanal Liberation Front (GLF), surrendered to RAMSI peacekeeping troops on Guadalcanal island on August 13, 2003. Some 3,700 weapons were surrendered to RAMSI personnel by late November 2004. Adam Dunning, a RAMSI police officer from Australia, was killed by a gunman in Honiara on December 22, 2004. Private Jamie Clarke, a RAMSI peacekeeping soldier from Australia was killed in a accident on March 10, 2005. Parliamentary elections were held on April 5, 2006, and independent candidates won 30 out of 50 seats in the parliament. The Solomon Islands National Party (SINP) won four seats, and the PAP won three seats in the parliament. The United Nations (UN) coordinated a total of 44 election observers representing Australia (10), Japan, New Zealand, U.S., Commonwealth of Nations (7), and Pacific Islands Forum-PIF (9). The Australian government sent ten observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. The CON sent seven observers and seven CON Secretariat staff members led by Sir Arnold Amet of Papua New Guinea to monitor the parliamentary elections from March 14 to April 6, 2006. The PIF sent nine short-term observers headed by Ieremia Tabai of Kiribati to monitor the parliamentary elections from March 31 to April 11, 2006. Snyder Rini of the Association of Independent Members (AIM) was elected prime minister by the parliament on April 18, 2006. Riots broke out in Honiara on April 18-19, 2006. CON Secretary-General Don McKinnon condemned the violence on April 19, 2006. Prime Minister Snyder Rini resigned on April 26, 2006, and Manasseh Sogovare of the Solomon Islands Social Credit Party (SISCP) took office as prime minister on May 4, 2006. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare lost a vote of no-confidence in the parliament on December 13, 2007. Derek Sikua of the SILP was elected prime minister by the parliament on December 20, 2007. On April 29, 2009, the five-member Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was established to investigate the causes of ethnic violence in the country from 1997 to 2003. Parliamentary elections were held on August 4, 2010, and the Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP) won 14 out of 50 seats in the parliament. Danny Philip of the National Coalition for Reform and Advancement (NCRA) was elected as prime minister on August 24, 2010. The UN Development Program (UNDP) provided technical assistance, including the coordination of 62 international observers from the Pacific Islands Forum, Commonwealth of Nations, European Union, and several countries, for the parliamentary elections. The PIF sent five short-term observers to monitor the parliamentary elections from July 30 to August 10, 2010. The CON sent nine observers from nine countries and four staff personnel headed by Arthur Donahoe of Canada to monitor the parliament elections from July 28 to August 12, 2010. The CON mission issued a final report on the elections on September 16, 2010. The EU sent one observer to monitor the parliamentary elections. The Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP) sent 20 observers from eight countries headed by Honorable Sandra Sumang Pierantozzi of the Republic of Palau to monitor the parliamentary elections. In addition, several countries sent observers to monitor the parliamentary elections, including the U.S. (20), Australia (10), New Zealand (9), and Japan (6). On November 11, 2011, Prime Minister Danny Philip resigned following the defection of five government ministers to the opposition. Gordon Darcy Lilo of the National Coalition for Reform and Advancement (NCRA) was elected as prime minister on November 16, 2011. The military component of the RAMSI withdrew from the Solomon Islands on July 31, 2013.
Post-Crisis Phase (August 1, 2013-November 23, 2021): Parliamentary elections were held on November 19, 2014, and the Democratic Alliance Party (DAP) won seven out of 50 seats in the parliament. Independents won 32 seats in the parliament. The CON sent short-term observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. The PIF sent five short-term observers led by Father Charles Vatu of Vanuatu to monitor the parliamentary elections from November 10 to November 25, 2014. Manasseh Sogavare of the Ownership, Unity and Responsibility (OUR) party was elected prime minister by the parliament on December 9, 2014. The civilian component of the RAMSI was disbanded on June 30, 2017. On August 14, 2017, the governments of Australia and Solomon Islands signed a bilateral security treaty, which permits Australia to deploy military and police personnel to Solomon Islands with the consent of both countries. Responding to allegations that he had accepted donations from Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare lost a vote of no-confidence in the parliament on November 7, 2017. Rick Houenipwela of the DAP was elected as prime minister by the parliament on November 15, 2017. The bilateral security treaty between Australia and Solomon Islands entered into force on June 13, 2018. Parliamentary elections were held on April 3, 2019. The SIDP and the Kadere Party each won eight seats out of 50 seats in the parliament. Independents won 21 seats in the parliament. The CON sent ten short-term observers led by Sato Kilman Livtuvanu of Vanuatu to monitor the parliamentary elections from March 27 to April 8, 2019. Manasseh Sogavare, an Independent, was elected as prime minister by the parliament on April 24, 2019. Opposition members of parliament boycotted the vote. There were some riots in Honiara following the vote in the parliament. On September 16, 2019, the government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare officially switch its diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Crisis Phase (November 24, 2021-August 18, 2024): Anti-government demonstrations and riots took place in Honiara beginning on November 24, 2021. Protesters, mostly from the island of Malaita, attacked the parliament building, a police station, and Chinese-owned businesses. Three civilians were killed as a result of the violence. In response to an appeal from the Solomon Islands government, the governments of Australia (100 military and police personnel), New Zealand (65 military and police personnel), Fiji (50 military personnel), and Papua New Guinea (34 police personnel) deployed peacekeepers as part of the Solomon Islands Assistance Force (SIAF) to restore and maintain law and order in Honiara beginning on November 25, 2021. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare survived a vote of no-confidence in the parliament on December 6, 2021. On December 24, 2021, the Chinese government agreed to provide anti-riot equipment (helmets, shields, and batons) to the Solomon Islands government. Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele signed a bilateral security agreement with the Chinese government on March 30, 2022, Parliamentary elections were held on April 17, 2024. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s OUR party won 15 out of 50 seats in the parliament, and the opposition Coalition for Accountability, Reform and Empowerment (CARE) bloc won 13 seats. The PIF sent short-term observers led by led by Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaiato of Samoa monitor the parliamentary elections. Jeremiah Manele of the OUR party was elected as prime minister by the parliament on May 2, 2024. SIAF peacekeepers completed their withdrawal from the country on August 18, 2024.
Post-Crisis Phase (August 19, 2024-present): On December 20, 2024, the governments of Australia and Solomon Islands jointly announced that the Australian government would be providing more than Australian $190 million (U.S. $118 million) in assistance over four years to support the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF), including support for a new Police Training Centre in Honiara.
[Sources: Al Jazeera, July 25, 2003, October 28, 2003, April 21, 2006, April 23, 2006, April 26, 2006, May 4, 2006, December 13, 2007, December 20, 2007, September 21, 2019, November 24, 2021, November 25, 2021, November 26, 2021, November 27, 2021, November 28, 2021, December 1, 2021, December 6, 2021, April 19, 2022, May 5, 2022, September 8, 2022, September 3, 2023, April 16, 2024, April 17, 2024, April 24, 2024, April 30, 2024, May 2, 2024; Amnesty International (AI), September 8, 1999, September 30, 1999, May 21, 2000; Associated Press (AP), June 29, 1999, June 5, 2000, June 10, 2000, June 30, 2000, September 26, 2001, June 30, 2003, November 25, 2021, November 27, 2021, December 1, 2021, December 6, 2021, April 17, 2024, April 29, 2024, May 2, 2024; Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), December 18, 2000, December 19, 2000; Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, December 20, 2024; Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, June 16, 2000, November 6, 2000, June 25, 2002; Australian Ministry of Defense, March 10, 2005; Banks and Muller, 1998, 878-881; British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), December 3, 2001, December 5, 2001, December 11, 2001, January 2, 2003, July 22, 2003, July 24, 2003, August 13, 2003, June 15, 2004, December 22, 2004, April 5, 2006, April 18, 2006, April 19, 2006, April 20, 2006, April 21, 2006, April 22, 2006, April 26, 2006, May 4, 2006, October 25, 2006, February 12, 2007, August 9, 2007, August 10, 2007, December 13, 2007, December 20, 2007, February 23, 2009, April 29, 2009, August 25, 2010, July 24, 2013, November 25, 2021, December 6, 2021, March 25, 2022, April 17, 2024, May 1, 2024; Commonwealth of Nations (CON), June 17, 1999, June 28, 1999, December 10, 1999, January 26, 2000, May 26, 2000, June 5, 2000, August 4, 2000, October 18, 2000, March 27, 2006, April 19, 2006, July 26, 2010, March 31, 2019, July 9, 2019; European Parliament, February 25, 2002; Facts on File, August 1997, December 20, 2001; International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), June 16, 1999, July 5, 1999, August 19, 1999, September 6, 2000, October 6, 2000, October 12, 2000, July 24, 2003; Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, November 28, 2001; Keesing’s Record of World Events, February 1989, March 1989, November 1990, May 1993, June 1993, October 1994, November 1994, January 1999, June 1999, September 1999, October 1999; Kyodo News Service, June 9, 2000, June 14, 2000; New York Times, December 20, 2024; Pacific Island Forum (PIF), November 25, 2001, November 27, 2001, December 6, 2001, April 15 2024; Reuters, June 15, 1999, June 16, 1999, June 17, 1999, June 28, 1999, May 12, 2000, May 16, 2000, June 5, 2000, June 6, 2000, June 9, 2000, June 10, 2000, July 25, 2002, July 26, 2002, June 25, 2003, June 29, 2003, July 21, 2003, July 24, 2003, July 29, 2003, December 20, 2024; The Japan Times, April 24, 2019; Times of India, May 11, 2000.]
Selected Bibliography
Ponzio, Richard. 2005. “The Solomon Islands: The UN and Intervention by Coalitions of the Willing,” International Peacekeeping, vol. 12 (2): 173-188.
Wainwright, Elsina. 2003. “Responding to State Failure – the Case of Australia and Solomon Islands.” Australian Journal of
International Affairs 57 (November): 485-498.