Malaitans clean up capital
Honiara, Solomon Islands (PINA Nius) — Hundreds of Malaitans are expected to roll up their sleeves in a display of community pride tomorrow when the island’s capital holds a “Clean Up Auki Day”.
A number of religious organizations including the Catholic Church, Church of Melanesia, Seventh Day Adventist, Assembly of God and South Seas Evangelical Church are organizing the clean up.
It follows the signing of the Townsville Peace Agreement which ended two years of ethnic conflict between militant forces from Guadalcanal (Isatabu Freedom Movement) and Malaita (Malaita Eagle Force).
The Malaita Provincial government and the International Peace Monitoring Team are also involved in the community clean-up.
International Peace Monitoring Team Auki team member Constable Young says he was looking forward to joining with the community to help tidy up the township.
Constable Young says the team feels privileged to have been asked to come and help the Peace Monitoring Council with the peace process in Solomon Islands.
He says the International Peace Monitoring Team has been overjoyed by the warm way the people of Malaita have accepted them into their community.
Constable Young says the team is looking forward to working along with the rest of the community as its way of thanking the people of Auki for their friendship.
Meanwhile, Russell Islands Plantation Estates Limited, RIPEL, has asked the public in and around Honiara to stop harvesting coconuts at the Lunga and Tenaru RIPEL plantations.
These plantations are located east of the capital.
In a message to the public, RIPEL’s management said that anyone found harvesting coconuts in the two areas would be dealt with legally.
The company has resumed its normal operations following the peace agreement.
