Rabuka, who is currently in Apia for the 27th Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), was bestowed with a Samoan matai title on Wednesday. 23 October 2024 Photo: Facebook / Fiji Government
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says he will take a back seat in the upcoming Pacific leaders' fact-finding mission to New Caledonia, which was postponed from earlier in the year.
Leaders from the Cook Islands, Tonga, and Solomon Islands make up a group called the Pacific Islands Forum troika, comprising past, present and future hosts of the annual PIF leaders' meeting.
The call for a PIF fact-finding mission was made while Fiji was still part of the troika.
Rabuka spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron the week before the mission was originally scheduled to take place.
When asked by RNZ Pacific why the trip was postponed, Rabuka resplied: "I do not know. I'm just the troika-plus."
Rabuka, who is currently in Apia for the 27th Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), was bestowed with a Samoan matai title of 'Tagaloa' by the village of Leauva'a on Wednesday.
He confirmed to RNZ Pacific that he will be in Nouméa on Sunday.
"We will be talking about the future of negotiations and the relationship between New Caledonia and the people and France," he said.
PIF secretary general Baron Waqa told RNZ Pacific that supporting peace and harmony in New Caledonia is top of the agenda for the leaders' mission.
Waqa, who is also attending CHOGM, said an advance team is in Nouméa making preparations for the visit.
Violence and destruction has been ongoing in New Caledonia for much of the past five months.
The death toll stands at 13.