Abstract
The Solomon Islands experienced an internal conflict between 1998 and 2003 that resulted in the collapse of government structures and services, including the police force, and the closure of commercial enterprises. Unable to resolve the crisis on its own, the Solomon Islands government requested help from its regional neighbours, leading to the deployment of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) in 2003. Mobilised under the auspices of the Pacific Islands Forum, RAMSI was led and largely funded by Australia. It aimed to restore security and stability in the archipelago through a combination of policing and law enforcement, institutional strengthening with central government agencies and measures aimed at reviving the national economy. As the 10-year mission comes to an end, Solomon Islands remains fragile and faces major challenges as it contemplates the future. It is unlikely that economic growth will be able to match population growth and the rising popular expectations. Reliance on logging is likely to be progressively replaced by mining, with the potential for accentuating patterns of uneven and enclave development that contributed to the original conflict. These and related issues are examined in the context of Solomon Islands recent history.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | A Region In Transition Politics and Power in the Pacific Islands Countries |
| Editors | Andreas Holtz, Matthias Kowasch, Oliver Hasenkamp |
| Place of Publication | Saarbrucken |
| Publisher | universaar |
| Pages | 551-572 |
| Volume | 1 |
| Edition | 1 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9783862231027 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |