Above: Harold Keke in the custody of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands

Above: Sgt Tania Harmer, 2HSB, carries Seaking-delivered stores of bottled water during the torrential rain that greeted military and police as they re-established a police presence at the remote village of Avu Avu on the rugged Weather Coast.

Above: Landing Craft Medium 8 (LCM8) Coxswain, Corporal Brett Radcliffe, 35 Water Tpt Sqn on day two of Operation Helpem Fren, delivering cargo from HMAS Manoora.

Above: Members of 2RAR during preparations for the evening battle reinactment.

Above: A RAN Seaking helicopter approaches the small town of Avu Avu on the remote weathercoast of Guadalcanal.

Pte Dean Farrajota, 2RAR, explains to Avu Avu resident, JJ, where he lives.

LCpl Luke Wilkinson, 103 Sigs Sqn, maintains communications with the RAMSI HQ.

Above: Cpl Melissa Hopkins, 13 Mp Pl, waits to direct personnel and vehicles off landing craft from HMAS Manoora as they arrive at the Gaudalcanal Beach Resort.

From Capt Sarah Hawke in the Solomon Islands

THE last two weeks has seen a rapid unfolding of events in Solomon Islands – events in which the ADF, as part of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), has played a major role.

A major outcome for RAMSI police-led operations was the arrest of Harold Keke on August 13.

Based in the remote Weather Coast region in the south of the island of Guadalcanal, Harold Keke has been linked to a number of major crimes and his surrender and subsequent arrest was seen as an important step in RAMSI’s goal of re-establishing law and order.

Negotiations over his surrender were led by the head of RAMSI, Special Coordinator Nick Warner, Ben McDevitt, the RAMSI Participating Force Commander (PPF), and RAMSI Military Commander, Lt-Col John Frewen.

The discussions were delicate with C Coy, 2RAR, providing security and back up on HMAS Manoora, RAN Seakings and UH-1H helicopters providing transport and logistic support. On the day of his arrest, Harold Keke, two of his key associates and family members, were brought aboard HMAS Manoora and taken back to Honiara where legal proceedings are now underway.

On the day of Keke’s arrest Australian and New Zealand air assets flew RAMSI civilian, police and military personnel to the village of Mbiti on the Weather Coast where around 50 of Keke’s supporters surrendered their weapons in an emotional ceremony. During the ceremony one of Keke’s men declared “the war is over”, referring to years of ethnic conflict that appears, at this stage, to be drawing to a close.

Spr Andrew Keep, 3CER, had the job of destroying the guns in front of 600 local people to show they would no longer be a threat.

“The weapons were in good condition and, the metal was strong ( the generator struggled at one stage), they were generally military-style weapons like MAG 58’s and SLR’s. It was the first lot of weapons I had cut up in Solomon Islands,” he said.

Local teacher Edyline Kokoa walked six hours from Nduindui village for the gun hand over and destruction ceremony.

“I am so happy, I thank God for this privilege that you have come, the war is now over and we are looking forward that we are going to have peace from today,” he said.
The successful outcome demonstrated the military’s ability to work with and support RAMSI police and civilian led operations.

Concurrent to the Keke activity has been the establishment of police posts. The posts involve the insertion of two to three RAMSI police officers, supported by more than 50 military personnel, to provide security and logistic support. Eventually, this military support will be wound back. The time frame for the wind back depends on the security assessment.

These posts have seen more than 250 military personnel deployed outside the RAMSI police and military headquarters in Honiara.

At the time this story was being prepared, five police posts had been set up with the focus of re-establishing law and order in some of the most remote locations in the Solomon Islands.

Three of the posts are on the Weather Coast which, as reflected by its name, can be extremely wet and windy.

At Avu Avu, soldiers from C Coy, 2RAR, are serving with soldiers from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF). At Kolina, two sections from Mortar Pl, 2RAR, are based with Tongan soldiers from RAMSI’s Pacific Island Contingent (PIC) Coy (the PIC coy has platoons from Australia, Tonga and Papua New Guinea). Not far from Mbiti is Tari where Australian soldiers from PIC Coy are working alongside their Tongan counterparts.

On the island of Malaita, C Coy, 2RAR, and RFMF solders are at Auki. Two hours drive from Honiara is the police post at Turarana where Australian and PNG troops are based.
The outposts are supported by various elements including 3CER, 2HSB, 2FSB and 101 Sigs Sqn.

With the whirlwind of activity, the air and sea elements have been fully tasked.
After returning from the Weather Coast with Harold Keke, HMAS Manoora was again loaded with stores and equipment to continue taskings to assist police posts, carry out amnesty visits and also the delivery of urgent medical supplies to provincial health clinics, organised by Australia’s development agency, AusAID.

The Fremantle class patrol boat, HMAS Whyalla, LCH HMAS Wewak and HMAS Labuan, and the Mine Hunter Coastal, HMAS Hawkesbury, have been also been busy in the logistic support role and on visits and patrols to many of the islands.

HMAS Hawkesbury was involved in the rescue of six men after their 23ft powered canoe capsized and sank when travelling from Lale to Ghizo. On board was Inspector Bruce Harris from the AFP.
“We were lucky we found them, we were only in the area because the night before we had taken a lady to a hospital at Ghizo from Taro Island,” he said.

On the accommodation front, living conditions continue to improve.
Most soldiers are now in tents with duck boards. An ablution block has opened at the police and military HQ at the former Guadalcanal Beach Resort (GBR) with work underway on the facilities at the Henderson Airfield. The Australian, New Zealand and PNG engineers have been busy improving the conditions. A 2.4m crocodile continues to mark out his territory off GBR.

Tents have been established at the police posts – because of the nature of these operations it is unlikely any permanent accommodation will be set up for the military.

At midnight on August 21, a gun amnesty that had been in place across Solomon Islands will end and the next stage of Op Helpem Fren will begin.

At the time of writing, more than 2500 weapons had been handed in, including 533 military-style weapons.

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