Thursday, June 04, 2009

Archbishop Tutu launches reconciliation bid for Solomon Islands

Nobel laureate and former Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu has inaugurated a Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the Solomon Islands.

At a ceremony held on April 29 in a football stadium in the Pacific nation’s capital of Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal, Archbishop Tutu said there were “many places around the world where there is conflict, but after a while peace comes. We in South Africa just want to say to you, if it can happen in our country, it can and will happen here.”

Between 1997 and 2003 civil authority collapsed in the Solomon Islands and more than 100 people were killed and 20,000 driven from their homes by fighting between ethnic and criminal gangs from the islands of Guadalcanal and Malaita.

In 2003 Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific states intervened at the request of the Solomon Islands government and formed the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to restore law and order.

The government of Australia has agreed to underwrite the costs of the five-member commission, which include Dr Sam Ata, the Dean of Honiara. The commission has a mandate to examine the underlying causes of the conflict and is expected to release its findings in a year.

Prime Minister Derek Sikua told a national radio audience the “The launching of the Commission is a vital part of the efforts as Solomon Islands continue to work towards closure of a most challenging chapter in the history of the country, when disputes led to conflict and conflict erupted into violence between communities."

The Prime Minister also thanked the Archbishop for his support in kicking off the Truth and Reconciliation process. “Archbishop Tutu is an advocate for human dignity whose tireless efforts have helped millions of people around the world.

His presence here this week will inspire Solomon Islanders to help to heal old wounds caused by the violence and civil unrest. It represents a turning point in our efforts to move away from bitterness and resentment, and to create a shared future as a unified nation.”

Sam Iduri, the Minister for National Reconciliation and Unity, said Archbishop Tutu had brought “us confidence and hope. We know that we are not alone in confronting our past.”
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