Solomons community hails RAMSI as "saviour"

Communities on the weathercoast of Guadalcanal in Solomon Islands have described the departing Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands as their saviour.

The mission's arrival in 2003 brought an end to several years of bloody ethnic conflict which saw dozens killed and tens of thousands of people displaced.

The weathercoast was particularly affected and many communities bore witness to gruesome killings and experienced horrific acts of violence and torture at the hands of local warlords, including Harold Keke.

A community leader told representatives of the mission, the government and police that RAMSI was like a saviour to them, redeeming the weathercoast from an evil era.

The officials have made a number of trips to the weathercoast in recent weeks to brief the people on the preparations for RAMSI's exit at the end of this month.

Patrick Ledi at Peochakuri Village says the RAMSI intervention made a great difference in peoples' lives.

He said it restored law and order and the people now have freedom of speech and freedom of movement.

He said it restored our relationship with the government and united our people.

The officials pointed out Australia and New Zealand will continue to provide bilateral policing assistance and that Solomon Islands is also finalising a treaty with Australia that would facilitate faster assistance if both nations agreed that help from Australia was required in the case of a natural disaster or other crisis.