‘Dangerous’: Expert Pans Move to Donate Guns, Armoured Vehicles to Pro-Beijing Solomons Leader

An image of armoured police vehicles gifted to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force under by the Australian Defence Force during a gifting ceremony in Honiara, Solomon Islands on Nov. 2, 2022. Courtesy of the Australian Federal Police

The Australian Labor government’s decision to gift weapons and armoured vehicles to the Solomons government has been branded “ill-conceived and dangerous” by Pacific expert Cleo Paskal, saying the move is pushing the country one step closer towards civil war.

On Nov. 2, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) delivered training and around $1.3 million (US$740,000) worth of equipment to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF).