12 Feb 2003

Fiji military denies setting up new elite special force

10:25 am on 12 February 2003

Fiji's military is denying that it has set up a special forces unit to replace the now disbanded Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit.

The CRW unit was disbanded after its troops staged the May 2000 coup and the failed mutiny six months later which claimed eight lives.

The Fiji Sun says the army has denied it has set up a detachment known as ZULU to replace it.

The milkitary spokesman, Warrant Officer Neumi Leweni, says soldiers seen training around the army camp in suva in the last few weeks are a company from the 3rd Fiji Infantry Regiment who are doing normal infantry training.

The Counter revolutionary warfare Unit was set up by Major General Sitiveni Rabuka after his 1987 military coup and trained on his Vanua Levu farm just before the May 2000 coup.