OCEANIA
Solomon
Islands, June 30, 2000 – The U.S. Department of State urges Americans
to defer travel to the Solomon Islands due to an attempted coup in the
capital and an increase in ethnic violence between rival militant groups.
The Solomon Islands, a parliamentary democracy within the British Commonwealth,
form an archipelago in the southwest Pacific Ocean about 1,200 miles northeast
of Australia. The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal.
The Solomon Islands' government stated in May that it could not guarantee
the safety of the capital. The Peace Corps has withdrawn its employees
and volunteers from the Solomon Islands, and the governments of Australia
and New Zealand evacuated persons wishing to depart, both their citizens
and other foreign nationals. American citizens resident in the Solomon
Islands should consider leaving the country. On June 5, members of the
militant Malaita Eagle Force (MEF) seized control of central police stations
and telecommunications facilities, armed themselves with automatic weapons,
detained the Prime Minister and Governor-General, and demanded the resignation
of the Prime Minister. Although there is no indication that American citizens
have been targeted, armed incidents between the MEF and the Guadalcanalese
Istambu Freedom Fighters (IFF), who have opposed each other for the past
eighteen months, have intensified. Many government departments in Honiara
have closed, and public services may not be available. There is no U.S.
Embassy in the Solomon Islands. Primary assistance for U.S. citizens is
provided by the U.S. Embassy in Papua New Guinea, which is located on
Douglas Street, adjacent to the Bank of Papua New Guinea, in Port Moresby.
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