Promised Peace To Be Restored

HONIARA: The Solomon Islands militia group which controls the capital, Honiara, says peace will be restored following the resignation of the prime minister, Bartholomew Ulufa'alu.

But as Pacific correspondent Sean Dorney reports, the Malaita Eagle Force doesn't intend disarming unless the militants from the main island, Guadalcanal, also comply:

The spokesman for the Malaita Eagle Force, Andrew Nori, told me he'd met with the acting Police Commissioner yesterday and they'd agreed that civilian police duties would revert to regular police officers.

"By tomorrow, we should be seeing more police officers on patrol and that will re-establish confidence in the normal policing task.

"Now with respect to surrendering of arms and return of weaponry, I'm afraid to say that that must form part of any peace deals."

Mr Nori said his group was making no demands as to who the nation's next leader should be.

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