Solomon Islands: buildings burnt down in the capital, Australia sends troops
Smoke from a store in Honiara, Solomon Islands, November 24.
Georgina Kekea via REUTERS - GEORGINA KEKEA
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Several buildings were set on fire Thursday in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, witnesses said, and thousands of protesters stormed the city's Chinatown, demanding the resignation of the prime minister.
Witnesses and local media have reported crowds braving the curfew, imposed following Tuesday's riots, to take to the streets.
Australia announces deployment of a peacekeeping force.
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Live footage showed buildings in flames and the plume of thick black smoke rising above the capital: Wednesday, November 25, hundreds of people demonstrated, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manassah Sogavare, before heading to Honiara's Chinatown, where they burned down a police station and looted businesses until the police intervened with tear gas.
Following these incidents, Manassah Sogavare ordered an immediate curfew in Honiara, deploring a "
sad and unfortunate event aimed at bringing down a democratically elected government
".
Opposition leader Matthew Wale urged Sogavare to resign, assuring that the unrest would not end with a police-framed curfew.
"
Unfortunately, the frustrations and the anger returned by the people against the Prime Minister are spreading uncontrollably in the streets, where opportunists are taking advantage of the situation,
" he said in a statement obtained by AFP.
Protesters from the neighboring island
Demonstrators from the neighboring island of Malaita are said to have taken part in the violence to protest against the decision, in 2019, to transfer its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.
The Solomons had chosen to recognize Taiwan in 1983, and many residents of Malaita had close ties with Taipei.
The government of this island has regularly criticized Honiara for having approached Beijing in this way.
►Also read: Taiwan breaks diplomatic ties with the Solomon Islands, turned to Beijing
This Pacific archipelago, independent from Great Britain since 1978, had sunk into inter-ethnic violence in the early 2000s. New tensions led to the deployment between 2003 and 2013 of a peace force led by Australia . Riots notably broke out in Honiara's Chinatown during the 2006 legislative elections, following rumors that companies close to Beijing had rigged the vote.
Australia is deploying a peacekeeping force to the Solomon Islands, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Thursday (November 25th) to end two days of violent riots in the capital Honiara aimed at overthrowing the government.
“
Our aim here is to ensure stability and security,
” said Scott Morrison, claiming to have received a request for assistance from Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
(
With
AFP)
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