GUADALCANAL OFFERS LAND FOR AFP SECURITY DEAL.

The Guadalcanal Provincial executive welcomes current negotiations between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Solomon Islands Government for Australia’s presence in the country- offering a piece of land for AFP’s base.

Premier Anthony Veke calls on the national government to work closely with Australian counterparts and speed up the facilitation of this arrangement.

Hon Veke says, his government will support moves by the Australian Federal Police to have a permanent home in the Solomon Islands if the Solomon Islands government makes that decision.

He adds, there are people and communities in Guadalcanal who are still traumatised at the actions of the Solomon Islands Police in the past.

The government is yet to reconcile those communities and people with the police.

“One of the very obvious areas still left unattended is the area of Solomon Islands Police reconciling to a number of communities in Guadalcanal. That in itself, in our view, needs an independent police to act as a mediator between our local police and the communities who were affected by the actions of the police during the social unrest.”

The tendency for misinterpretation and mistrust amongst fellow Solomon Islanders remains as the province will be fighting to address outstanding issues contained in the bona fide demands of the Guadalcanal people.

The Guadalcanal Provincial Premier assured that Guadalcanal province is willing and able to give land for the base in the best interest of the province and the country.

He adds, the issue of sovereignty can easily be sorted out using existing international laws.