Troops fly home from Solomons this weekend

A ceremony in Honiara today will mark the departure of some New Zealand, Tongan and Fijian troops from the Solomon Islands.

The departures signal a reduction in the military component of the multinational regional assistance mission.

First to go will be 80 New Zealand Defence Force personnel, who will fly home on an Air Force Boeing 757 on Sunday. The flight will go via Fiji to take 38 Fijians home, and next week the Air force will fly the Tongans home.

Wing Commander Stuart Brownlie, New Zealand Defence Force senior national officer in Honiara, said yesterday that the troops felt confident they had contributed to putting the Solomons back on the path to security and stability.

"The work we have done with the other Pacific Island nations has been challenging and very rewarding, and we're pleased the downsize indicates a step toward a positive future for the Solomon Islands."

New Zealand's military commitment of two, three-month deployments of a 33-strong infantry platoon as well as three support personnel will continue until July 31, 2006.

The platoon will be rotated around the five troop-contributing countries of New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga. New Zealand will also contribute one officer to the mission headquarters for two years, until July 31, 2006.

Defence Minister Mark Burton, Secretary of Defence Graham Fortune, and Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson are attending today's ceremony.

- NZPA