CDNN SPECIAL REPORT :: SOLOMON ISLANDS COUPOn Monday, June 5, 2000, Malaitan Eagle Force (MEF) armed rebels seized control of Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. The rebels shut down the international airport, cut down telephone lines, occupied key buildings and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu. Meanwhile a rival group - the Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM) - seized an Australian-owned gold mine and took some 40 Australian nationals hostage. | Click on graphic, go to timeline |
The dispute between the two ethnic groups, which have been fighting for control of the Solomon Islands since World War two, escalated in 1998.As always, travel agents, tourism promotion groups and the dive industry ignored the escalating violence and continued to promote the Solomon Islands as a safe and pleasant travel destination despite a CDNN Travel Alert issued the day of the coup warning tourists not to travel to the Solomons. As the conflict between the two groups worsened and the Solomons threatened to spiral into anarchy and violence, CDNN kept divers informed with frequent reports based on what was actually happening on the ground in Honiara and throughout the island of Guadalcanal where most of the fighting took place. CDNN FEATURE REPORTS CDNN NEWS REPORTS20072006200520042003200220012000 | | |
