Solomon Islands is planning to reconcile with neighbouring Papua New Guinea and its Autonomous Bougainville Region for incidents during the Bougainville Civil War.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare speaking during the National Healing and Apology Week in Honiara. 2-7/ July/2016 Photo: Facebook - PM Press Secretariat
The Solomon Islands Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace which has just completed a week of national reconciliation ceremonies for Solomon Islands own ethnic crisis in 1998, now want to pursue reconciliation with PNG and Bouganville.
Its National Peace Advisor Father John Patteson Ngalihesi said resolving past differences is the only path to true peace and security in the border regions.
We have the Bougainvilleans also here, they come as observers. And we look at how we can do peace building on the border between PNG and Solomon Islands a bit more better and in a way that can promote and harness peace among our people.
Described as the largest conflict in Oceania since WWII, the Bougainville war raged for a decade from 1988, with thousands of lives lost.
It also saw serious skirmishes with Solomon Islands border police on the PNG/Solomon Islands border, including several unauthorised crossings by Papua New Guinea military personnel into Solomon Islands in search of Bougainvillean militants.
