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Military
Although the locally-recruited British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence
Force was part of Allied forces taking part in fighting in the Solomons during
World War II, the country has not had any regular military forces since
independence. The various paramilitary elements of the Royal Solomon Islands
Police (RSIP) were disbanded in 2003 following the intervention of the Regional
Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), and the RSIP was disarmed.
RAMSI has a small military detachment headed by an Australian commander with
responsibilities for assisting the police element of RAMSI in internal and
external security. The RSIP still operates two patrol boats (RSIPV Auki and
RSIPV Lata) which constitute the navy of the Solomon Islands.
In the long-term it is anticipated that the RSIP will resume the defense role.
The police force is headed by a commissioner, appointed by the governor general
and responsible to the prime minister.
The police budget of the Solomon Islands has been strained due to a four-year
civil war. Following Cyclone Zoe's strike on the islands of Tikopia and Anuta in
December 2002, Australia had to provide the Solomon Islands government with
200,000 Solomons ($50,000 Australian) for fuel and supplies for the patrol boat
Lata to sail with relief supplies. (Part of the work of RAMSI includes assisting
the Solomon Islands Government to stabilise its budget.)
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