Pacific Exporter's Network
We note in media reports that NZ soldiers and others have been deployed to Honiara to assist the Australian and Solomon Islands defence forces to maintain law and order.
We say "here we go again" or will our commitment be short term and successful?
An excellent opinion piece is attached to this post which tends to put matters into perspective.
While the tensions between the PRC and Taiwan are claimed to be at the root of the current round of problems, it appears that much deeper Government incompetence and long existing tribalism is the core problem.
The previous deployment of troops under the RAMSI arrangement, can simply be judged a failure.
Will this latest deployment change matters and address the real root cause of the problem, we doubt it.
So we have NZ plowing further $millions of taxpayers cash into a Pacific hot spot with no clear pathway that will enable us to get out soon.
For exporters we note that most of the support for this deployment will come via Australia. There is unlikely to be any involvement of NZ suppliers of goods and services in the months ahead.
We are not cheering.
See https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/no-short-term-solution-to-solomon-islands-strife/