A Solomon Islands government official said Thursday that looters
have fled the streets after extra Australian and New Zealand troops
arrived at the city Wednesday night.
The rioting and looting were sparked by Tuesday's parliamentary
vote which elected Snyder Rini as the South Pacific nation's new
prime minister.
Supporters of rival candidate, Job Dudley Tausinga, then took to
the street of the capital, Honiara, claiming the vote was
fixed.
The violence is the worst unrest in Honiara since Australia, New
Zealand and other Pacific governments intervened in 2003 to help
end years of bloody ethnic gang conflict.
Australia and New Zealand sent extra troops to the South Pacific
country Wednesday.
Johnson Honimae, a Solomons Islands government information
officer in Honiara, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV
that last time he saw any looting was Wednesday night, hours after
the troops arrived.
He said the troops have set up outposts in the city and have
been instrumental in preventing further looting.
"There are no more looters. The last time I saw them was last
night," he said.
"I think there's more of these troops now on the streets driving
up and down. They are more visible now ... and I think they are
setting themselves up within the town boundaries," he said.
However, Honimae said he had no idea where the country's
politicians were hiding, or when they would publicly confront the
crisis.
Honimae also said the capital had been devastated by the two
days of rioting and looting, with city streets dominated by
burned-down buildings and masses of rubbish.
(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2006)
