A building belonging to the Solomon Islands Prime Minister has been set on fire by protesters, with looters breaking in and causing damage.
Key points:
- Civil unrest continues for a third day as protesters call for the PM's resignation
- The PM's main residence was unharmed but a second home was damaged by looters
- Up to 50 ADF officers and 40 ADF personnel arrived in the Solomon Islands on Friday
Images from social media show the fire-damaged building in Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's compound, with items strewn everywhere.
The building set alight is a second home that had been previously rented out and is not the Prime Minister's main residence, which has been declared safe but is under heavy police watch.
Honiara-based freelance journalist Chrisnrita Aumanu-Leong said though the city was visibly quieter on Friday, crowds had turned their attention to Mr Sogavare's residence.
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The Solomon Islands government will enforce a curfew between 7:00pm and 6:00am in the capital until revoked.
Solomon Islands Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau advised people to go back to their homes if they did not have urgent business in the city centre.
"Anyone seen moving around after 7pm will be dealt with."
Papua New Guinea has deployed 20 police officers and 15 corrections officers to the troubled nation by request from the Solomon Islands' government.
They were expected to arrive Friday afternoon, according to PNG Prime Minister James Marape's office.
PNG Police Commissioner David Manning will also be accompanying the security personnel to assess the situation on the ground and hold a press conference on Friday evening.
On Thursday, a contingent of 23 Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers arrived in Honiara to bolster the Solomons' police force, with more to follow in the coming days.
An air force plane carrying Australian Defence Force personnel has arrived in Solomon Islands, according to the Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands Lachlan Strahan.
It's the third day of protests in the capital Honiara, with people continuing to call for Mr Sogavare's resignation.
The protests in the country erupted earlier this week — the main, but not sole, source of the conflict is the government's decision to switch diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China.
The Solomon Islands' Ministry of Public Service has advised all public servants — with the exception of essential services — to stay home due to the current unrest in the capital.
It also encouraged public servants to ensure they had enough food supplies at home due to the uncertainty of the present situation.
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2021-11-26 11:16:55Z
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