“My government is proud to make a significant investment in the police force of the Solomon Islands to ensure that they can continue to take primary responsibility for security in the Solomons,” Albanese said.
“This partnership will strengthen the Solomon Islands domestic security, but it will also enhance its ability to contribute to regional stability.”
Local police overwhelmed
China has also been offering training and hardware to the Solomons police.
It maintains a small but conspicuous police presence in country, sending a revolving cadre of officers to train locals in shooting and riot tactics.
Local police, numbering 1,500 for a population of about 720,000, appeared overwhelmed when anti-government protests turned violent in Honiara in November 2021.
The riots left at least three people dead and much of the capital’s Chinatown district in ruins.
On a visit to Australia in June, Sogavare raised the country’s policing needs with Albanese.
In a joint statement, the leaders said the Solomons had asked Australia to help it double the size of its police force to 3,000 over a decade, with a longer-term goal of reaching 5,000.
© 2024 AFP
