THE body of the Solomon Islands Ambassador to China, His Excellency late John Moffat Fugui will arrive in the country today (27 December 2022).

The flight carrying the body of the late Ambassador, his three children and the Second Secretary to the Solomon Islands Embassy left Beijing yesterday afternoon and will arrive in Honiara 2pm today (Tuesday).

The Prime Minister, Hon.Manasseh Sogavare, cabinet Ministers and Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade will receive the casket of the late Fugui from the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) Ambassador to the Solomon Islands, His Excellency Li Ming.

The Prime Minister will then hand-over the casket to the family of the late Ambassador which will be taken up to the private residence of the late Fugui.

An Official funeral program will be held at the St. Barnabas Anglican Church on Thursday (29^th December).

Details of the program will be made available soon to the public.

The 61-year-old late ambassador passed away in Beijing after suffering Cardiac Arrest on Thursday (22^nd December 2022).

—MFAET PRESS RELEASE

US launches $8.2m UXO project in SI

UNITED States this week launched a USD$1 million (SBD$8.2 million) project to address the World World II bomb issue in Solomon Islands.

The funding will be channelled through The HALO Trust (HALO), which will launch a comprehensive unexploded ordnance (UXO) project here starting 1 January 2023. 

“This project will address UXO priorities and enhance explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) capacity with the Ministry of National Police and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force,” a statement from the US Government says.

“This project is part of President Biden’s announcement at the United States-Pacific Island Country Summit, where UXO priorities were one of nine U.S. commitments to implement the Declaration on US-Pacific Partnership,” the statement added.

“The United States is a Pacific nation—geographically, economically, historically, and culturally—and remains invested in supporting a prosperous Pacific.

“In Solomon Islands, the United States has provided more than $6.8 million since 2011 to establish a national capacity with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to identify and destroy explosive remnants of war. 

“This included training 13 engineers who have conducted more than 1,200 explosive ordnance callouts and destroyed more than 29,746 items of UXO. 

“The United States’ work over the past decade to remediate explosive hazards is foundational for a prosperous Solomon Islands and continues to advance humanitarian and development priorities on land free of UXO.”

The statement said HALO will advance shared United States-Solomon Islands priorities. 

“With funding from the United States, HALO will locate and mark World War II legacy UXO while providing essential training and capacity building to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force EOD unit. 

“This includes using existing data and historical records as well as conducting search activities to update the national UXO database, which will inform future explosive ordnance risk education and explosive hazard responses to UXO contamination by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force EOD unit. 

“US funding will also provide technical advice while assisting the Ministry of National Police to establish a UXO coordination office.

“The United States, through its Conventional Weapons Destruction program, has funded work in the Pacific since 2009.” 

Since 1993, the United States has invested more than USD$4.7 billion for the safe clearance of landmines and explosive weapons of war as well as the securing and safe disposal of excess small arms and light weapons and munitions in more than 100 countries and territories. 

The United States is the world’s single largest financial supporter of conventional weapons destruction.

THE country’s first ambassador to China, John Moffat Fugui, died Thursday in Beijing from cardiac arrest.

That’s according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET).

Cardiac arrest, according to medical science, occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops pumping.

If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs.

According to science, cardiac arrests are caused by certain types of arrhythmias that prevent the heart from pumping blood. It is a medical emergency.

Fugui is 61 at the time of his passing.

The ministry said it is currently liaising with the People’s Republic of China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on arrangements to bring Fugui’s body home.

“A condolence book will be made open for signature to the Government and the diplomatic community,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Fugui is an inspirational leader, a person who loved his country and devoted his life to serve,” the statement said.

“He is a diplomat with great visions to connect Solomon Islands with the biggest country in the world that is China.

“He was also a well-read diplomat who interacted well with youths until his passing.”

Apart from his recent assignment as a diplomat, the late Fugui was a Member of Parliament from 2010 to 2020.

He held a number of ministerial posts including as Minister of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD), Minister of Public Service, Minister of Environment, Conservation & Meteorology, and Disaster Management and as Deputy Speaker of Parliament.

He has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand as well as a Masters in Politics from the University of Hawaii, Monoa, Honolulu.

MFAET PRESS STATEMENT.

BY NED GAGAHE

The chief of Nifiloli island of the Vaeakau district, Temotu province, has welcomed the ministry of Health’s (MHMS) move to tackle the new drug – Copen.

Copen has reached the furthest parts of eastern Solomon Islands.

Edward Makiu says Copen is the latest threat to children and youths in his community, after it was introduced earlier this year by youths travelling there from Honiara.

Mr Makiu urges the MHMS and government to quickly make the substance illegal.

The importance of lawmakers making Copen illegal is it would enable community leaders and school admins to regulate the substance in their communities and schools, he adds.

“Copen usage has reached our isolated communities in the east of the country, and earlier this year community elders held a meeting to try and curtail its usage among young people.

“There are already a lot of factors challenging our youth’s education, health and welfare, and Copen is adding to our problems, so it is heartening to see government through the MHMS acting on it.”

Makiu said what his community wants is for the substance to be made illegal by any legislation made in parliament, and MHMS’s announcement means a step closer to achieving this.

With chief Makiu’s report, Copen is now reported throughout the whole country, with the exception of Makira-Ulawa province.

In October Premier of Makira-Ulawa Hon Julian Makaa relayed to Island Sun not having heard of the substance’s presence in his province. However, he did not rule out the possibility of it being otherwise.

Earlier this month, Health Minister Dr Culwick Togamana told parliament that his ministry will take Copen head-on.

“The Ministry of Health will like to investigate further and we need to work closely with the RSPIF attain some samples of copen to do lab analysis.

“If we get hold of this substance, we can send it overseas for testing of chemical constitutes.”

Togamana also said the issue of Copen will also be included in the Solomon Islands school health survey to gauge more information.

The Health minister also mentioned the intent to resource the national laboratory to enable it to test Copen in the near future.

Copen is a substance which is yet to be recognised by the country’s law as a drug, or as an illegal one.

But already it is reportedly affecting users which are mainly students, primary and secondary.

It is reportedly most prevalent in the capital, Honiara, followed by Renbel and Choiseul province.

Prior to MHMS taking up the Copen issue, the approach by authority was to leave it to be dealt with on the community and parent level.

However, this approach has failed, with many parents and school teachers reporting that Copen production and usage is rife in their communities.

Copen is reportedly made using tobacco leaves and household items. The availability of these ingredients makes it easy to produce, leading to its high prevalence in communities across the country.