9 May 2005

Fiji troops end tour of duty with RAMSI

1:28 pm on 9 May 2005

More Fijian soldiers will only be sent to the Regional Assistance Mission in Solomon Islands in May next year if the situation there warrants it.

The Fiji Times reports that the military spokesman, Captain Neumi Leweni, gave this explanation on the return of 31 Fiji soldiers by a Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules transport plane at Nausori yesterday.

Captain Leweni said the Fijian troops had completed their 3-month tour of duty with RAMSI and had been replaced by troops from Papua New Guinea.

The commander of the returning contingent, Lt Eroni Duaibe, said theirs had been a low level operation because police from around the region were at the front line of dealing with law and order problems.

Lt Duaibe said the troops were the last line of defence to ensure that no pressure would cause instability in Solomon Islands