Kiwis flee on Australian ship

By JOHN ARMSTRONG and BRONWYN SELL

More than 50 relieved New Zealanders are safe on an Australian Navy ship, part of a first wave of 400 foreigners who yesterday fled Honiara, capital of the strife-torn Solomon Islands.

The supply ship Tobruk entered Honiara harbour around 2 pm, prompting New Zealand High Commission staff to immediately phone expatriates and stranded tourists desperate to leave after Monday's coup.

Last night, the Tobruk was moored 5km off Honiara, with 330 passengers on board.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said 52 New Zealanders - including 14 children - had been evacuated.

The ship is expected to return this morning to pick up a further 70 New Zealanders and Australians.

The "precautionary" evacuation is being supplemented by two Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules and a Boeing 727, which are flying from Auckland to Townsville in Queensland.

With Australian Hercules, they will operate as an "air-bridge" to Honiara, ferrying out more evacuees once it is safe to reopen the international airport.

The New Zealand frigate Te Mana will reach Honiara tomorrow morning, providing emergency backup if the airport remains closed and fighting between rival militia groups escalates.

It is likely that New Zealand SAS personnel will be on board the frigate to assist on land in securing areas for the evacuation.

Although Honiara was calm last night, about 90 of the 160 New Zealanders in the city had earlier indicated they wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Foreign Minister Phil Goff described last night's evacuation as precautionary.

Australians and New Zealanders had priority, and he expected that most of those who wanted to get out would be able to.

There was a lull in fighting yesterday, despite earlier reports that new fronts would open up on the outskirts of the city as the Malaitan Eagle Force squares off against the rival Isatabu Freedom Movement. However, intelligence reports reaching Mr Goff indicate that fighting may erupt in other parts of the Solomons.

High Commission staff will remain in Honiara, with diplomats still trying to get the rival groups to agree to a truce and start negotiating a peace deal.

Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'alu - who was released by the Malaitan Eagles on Wednesday night as part of a possible peace deal - was back under house arrest yesterday.

Solomon Star journalist Ofani Eremae said the reason for the turnaround was not known, but it was rumoured to be the result of comments Mr Ulufa'alu had made to a local radio station that he and his family had feared for their lives.

Meanwhile, the Red Cross says claims that 100 people were killed in a battle near the airport on Wednesday are not true.