SIAF A Success.
Last week we farewelled the last of Australia’s contribution to the Solomons International Assistance Force (SIAF). So, this week I wanted to celebrate this successful deployment, and all that Solomon Islands, Australia, and our regional partners achieved together. SIAF first arrived in Solomon Islands in 2021, within 24 hours of the Solomon Islands Government’s original call for support. The response to this call included the arrival of Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Defence Force members. Following the success of the mission, it remained, at the request of the Solomon Islands Government, to provide continuous support during parliamentary sitting periods, and to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) during the 2023 Pacific Games and 2024 Joint Elections. More than 1,600 Australian personnel have come to Solomon Islands over the last three years, as part of SIAF, and they have strengthened the bonds of friendship and understanding between our two countries. Among other things these men and women have joined RSIPF patrols, airlifted equipment, and supplies, and trained and mentored RSIPF officers. They also contributed to the sports partnership between our two countries, including delivering uniforms, playing boots, rugby balls and medical supplies to the RSIPF’s Royals Rugby Union Team.
At the request of the Solomon Islands Government, Australia is deploying additional Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel under our Bilateral Security Treaty to support the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) to deliver a safe and secure Pacific Games 2023.
ADF personnel will work closely with the AFP to support the RSIPF, alongside personnel from the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, Republic of Fiji Military Forces and New Zealand Defence Force.
The ADF will provide aviation, maritime, and logistics support, including the deployment of ADV Reliant and HMAS Choules, to enable security support.
Our personnel also worked alongside Police and Defence force members from New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea. Australia is Solomon Islands’ number one security partner. We are honoured to serve alongside our Pacific Island partners and will continue to support Solomon Islands priorities. We see this assistance as part of a tradition of Pacific Island people working together to keep peace and order and responding to crises. While SIAF has concluded, our security relationship with Solomon Islands has a bright future. The Australian Federal Police and Australian Defence Force will continue to work with RSIPF counterparts as mentors, advisors and trainers through the RSIPF-AFP Policing Partnership Program and Defence Cooperation Program. We will listen to Solomon Islands’ security needs and continue to work with the RSIPF to help keep you safe and build Solomon Islands’ sovereignty. We will also continue to work with Pacific Island countries to improve the security of the region and help your neighbours – like Papua New Guinea and Fiji – to keep their citizens safe too. We share the same democratic values of justice, public safety, and rule of law as you, and that is why the Australian and Solomon Islands police forces work so well together. And that is why police forces from Solomon Islands, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea work so well together too.
Our Prime Ministers are discussing the next phase of our security partnership and Australia is ready to support RSIPF to better meet its own security needs, rely less on external partners, and bolster Solomon Islands’ sovereignty. Our discussions will continue to the next steps for this project of decadal change. So, while we have completed one part of our security partnership with SIAF, we will continue to work together to help build your country’s safety, security and stability.
Lukim iu neks taem!
