Yearbook 1999
Solomon Islands. Visit Countryaah official website to get information about the capital city of Solomon Islands. The area around the capital Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal was plagued during the first half of the year by severe ethnic contradictions. An armed militant group campaigned against immigrants from the island of Malaita and demanded back land on which they settled and complained that they were taking jobs from the locals. Several people were killed and many injured in the violence, and thousands of the inmates fled the island. In June, the authorities imposed an emergency permit on Guadalcanal and Fiji’s former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka was commissioned to mediate the conflict. According to an agreement concluded between the provincial governments of Guadalcanal and Malaita, the armed group would disband and relinquish its weapons. But new violence followed with more deaths. In August, however, a new peace agreement was signed.
- Also see Abbreviationfinder.org to see the acronym of SLB which stands for Solomon Islands and other definitions of this 3-letter abbreviation.
In July, the government signed a contract with a Malaysian forest company that was authorized to cut down 10,000 ha of rain forest on the island of Vangunu. Oil palm trees should then be planted in the area.
In 2003, the cyclone ravaged the Zoe Islands, leaving only a few traces of life on the Tikopia Atoll. Communications between the islands were interrupted during the ravages of the cyclone and subsequently the government was unable to send relief due to lack of financial resources.
In July, a regional armed intervention force put an end to four years of armed clashes in the country. It was the most important step forward in ending the situation of violence and impunity that had prevailed since the armed conflict broke out in 1999. Before days before the operation began, the military leader Harold Keke declared a ceasefire and released 4 of the 7 hostages had taken in June. A month later, he surrendered to the intervention force.
Guadalcanal Liberation Front leader Harold Keke was sentenced to life in prison along with 2 other members of his organization for the assassination of the priest and MP Augustine Geve in 2002. Australia celebrated the sentencing and characterized it as “a qualitative step forward… demonstrating that the Solomon Islands judiciary” is on its way to once again enforcing the laws of the country ยป.
The April 2006 appointment of former Finance Minister Snyder Rini triggered riots and demonstrations claiming his appointment was illegal and favored local and Chinese interests alone. After 8 days, Rini resigned from the post and Parliament appointed Manasseh Sogavare instead.
In April 2007, the islands were hit by a tsunami that cost 18 lives and several dozens injured.
Prime Minister Sogavare fell by a vote of no confidence in December 2007 and was replaced by the post of Derek Sikua.
Sikua’s Liberal Party suffered a crushing defeat in the 2010 elections, when Sikua was elected the only one. New Prime Minister became Danny Philip. However, he only got to sit on the record for 1 year. In the fall of 2011, he was charged with Taiwanese aid fraud. After 5 ministers and 6 other members of his party went to the opposition, a vote of no confidence was called in parliament. Philip, however, chose to go inside. New Prime Minister became Gordon Darcy Lilo.
