Solomon Islands' PM Manasseh Sogavare refuses to step down, says 'riot was staged': Report

On Sunday, Manasseh Sogavare, the Prime Minister of riot-hit Solomon Island, refused to step down claiming that the violence that swept the capital city, Honiara, was staged by a few people with an "evil goal" to depose him. In an address televised to the Pacific island country, Sogavare stated, "It is very evident that the recent events were meticulously planned and executed to remove me as Prime Minister on spurious grounds," reported Al Jazeera. The Prime Minister also promised to find instigators behind the unrest and bring them to book.

He further stressed that government is totally committed and that nothing will deter it. "We must never bow down to the malevolent intentions of a few people," he stated during his address. What started as a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday, November 24, swiftly turned into a bloodbath, with impoverished Honiara residents joining anti-government protestors. Angry protesters ripped through the usually peaceful seaside metropolis for three days, demanding Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's resignation. Two years of pandemic-induced border closures and lockdowns have wreaked havoc on the Solomon Islands economy, exacerbating severe unemployment and poverty among the population of 800,000.

PM Sogavare blames the demonstrations on foreign meddling

Leaders of the country's most populous island, Malaita, have chastised Sogavare for his choice in 2019 to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of mainland China. PM Sogavare has also blamed the demonstrations on foreign meddling, citing the government's decision to recognise China and cut ties with Taiwan, which the populous province of Malaita outrightly opposed. "The government's decision to recognise Beijing as the legitimate Chinese power instead of Taiwan is not only correct but also legal. It aligns the Solomon Islands with international law and puts it on the right side of history," he was quoted as saying by ABC News. 

The Solomon Islands is located around 1,500 kilometres northeast of Australia and have a population of about 800,000. They are probably best recognised internationally for the terrible fighting that took place there during World War II between the US and Japan. Protesters disregarded Sogavare's call for a lockdown on Wednesday, November 24, and took to the streets for the next three days. Meanwhile, critics have also blamed the upheaval on complaints about a lack of government services and accountability, as well as corruption and Chinese companies hiring foreigners rather than locals in the country, reported The Associated Press (AP). 

Image: AP