SUVA, Fiji (8 July 2000) -- Almost two months ago when rebels took over parliament, the political crisis stemmed from a racist agenda aimed at disenfranchising Indo-Fijians. But the crisis has turned into a battle between armed ethnic Fijians vying for political control of a country that is on the verge of civil war. New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff described the crisis as a brawl between tribal chiefs. "Taken to the extreme, you could even see civil war. Not civil war between the indigenous and the Indo-Fijian population, but rather a civil war between the conflicting factions within the indigenous community," Goff said. | | Tourists are urged to leave Fiji On Tuesday, five ethnic Fijians were wounded in a gun battle between soldiers and rebels outside the parliamentary complex. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
