NZ troops in Solomons next month, says Goff

10.30am

New Zealand forces are likely to be in Solomon Islands next month, now that country's parliament has agreed to an intervention force, says Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff.

The Solomons parliament last night unanimously endorsed the plan for an Australian-led police and military force to help the struggling government restore law and order and rebuild public services.

The next step is for the Solomons parliament to pass legislation permitting foreign troops to intervene, and Mr Goff said he expected that would happen by the middle of next week.

"There are no dates set but the talk is that Australia will make an initial deployment before the end of this month, with most of the deployment sometime in August," he said.

Mr Goff has previously suggested New Zealand's contribution could be about 40 police and 200 troops, but he said today those figures were at the top end of estimates.

"We're working on the numbers. A brigadier has been in the Solomons getting a sense of what's required," he said on National Radio.

The intervention force plan has been endorsed by all 16 member countries of the Pacific Island Forum and Mr Goff said he expected about half of them would make a contribution, probably providing police.

Mr Goff did not anticipate any problems between the foreign troops and police and the Solomons population.

"There's a very strong feeling, right across the islands, that this type of assistance is needed," he said.

Three years of ethnic violence in the Solomons have led to a breakdown in law and order with legal, health and education services barely functioning.

The country is almost bankrupt. Armed gangs control some areas and the police have been unable to deal with the situation.

The New Zealand and Australian governments have warned that security in the Pacific could be threatened if the Solomons descends into a "failed state" situation.

Mr Goff has previously warned it could become a haven for international terrorists and criminals.

"I think there's a sense of disappointment in the Solomons that the situation has deteriorated to the point where they've had to ask for outside assistance," he said today.

"They're clearly aware that they're not able to deal with the problem of restoring the rule of law themselves."

In Canberra, Prime Minister John Howard said he would give the go-ahead for the intervention force once legislation was approved.

Diplomatic sources said the expected arrival date for the advance guard was July 24.

- NZPA