THE Ministry of Police, National Security, and Correctional Services, the United States Embassy in Honiara on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defence, signed a memorandum of agreement for humanitarian mine assistance (HMA) at the Ministry of Police, National Security, and Correctional Services in Honiara on September 4, 2024.
The United States has continuously supported multinational Australian, Japanese, and New Zealand EOD efforts in the Solomon Islands. This new memorandum of understanding provides almost $2 million USD in additional funding, outlines actions into specific project areas, and establishes training for 2025 and beyond. Training topics include Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Underwater Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) clearance, Technical Survey (TS)/Battle Area Clearance (BAC), HMA Casualty Care (HMACC), Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), and the development of a sustainable HMA training centre at Hell’s Point for the RSIPF.
Permanent Secretary Karen Galokale stated, “On behalf of the Government of Solomon Islands, we greatly appreciate the support of the United States for this program, which will go a long way towards strengthening the partnership to remediate UXO throughout Solomon Islands.
This assistance will establish sustainable capabilities within the RSIPF and support the long-term development plan of the government to create a UXO Centre of Excellence.
Additionally, the package will complement combined efforts to enhance the RSIPF’s EOD capabilities.”
Chargé d’Affaires Anthony Calegari commented that “This program further deepens our cooperation with the Government of Solomon Islands and demonstrates the United States’ continued commitment to remediate UXO in the Solomon Islands. Additionally, we look forward to strengthening our partnership with the RSIPF to augment ongoing EOD efforts. The lasting capabilities this program develops will provide wide-spread benefits towards increasing the security and prosperity of the people of Solomon Islands.”
The U.S. Navy EOD team will facilitate training and equipping that will take place on a rolling basis beginning in 2024.
The United States has invested since 2011 more than $11 million for Solomon Islands’ conventional weapons destroyers to locate and mark UXO, support updates to the national UXO database, and provide national capacity support. This included training and equipping the RSIPF explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit, which was created through a joint assistance initiative between the United States and Australia; training 13 engineers who have conducted more than 1,200 explosive ordnance callouts and destroyed more than 29,746 items of UXO.
Source: U.S. Embassy in Honiara, Solomon Islands