Name? Manasseh Sogavare
Westphalian identity? Solomon Islander
Age? 66
Why is he in the news? Prime Minister Sogavare of the Solomon Islands faces calls of resignation after three days of riots have rocked the nation’s capital. The majority of those protesting and calling for Sogavare’s resignation travelled to Guadalcanal Island, which hosts the capital, from Malaita island.
Why do we care? Because the presumed source of contention between Malaita (protestors) and Guadalcanal (central government) is Sogavare’s 2019 decision to switch allegiances from Taiwan to China. Since then, Malaita has continued to receive support from both Taipei and Washington despite China’s support of the central government–effectively fracturing Sogavare’s legitimacy and control over the Solomon Islands. Another source of tension is the perceived unequal distribution of resources and a lack of economic support between Guadalcanal and Malaita.
Why should you care? Rarely does such a small geopolitical state, much less one we struggle to find on a map, have such a massive impact on regional power dynamics. The fact that even Sogavare has been pulled into a geopolitical tug-of-war between Beijing and Washington emphasizes the intensity of the struggle for global dominance. Like Xi and Biden, you should care 9/10 whether this week’s riots cause a reversal of the contentious 2019 decision.
Who else cares? Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia. Responding to a formal request from Segavare, Morrison deployed security personnel to the Solomon Islands. Although Australia’s force has helped quell violence on the Islands, tensions continue to escalate into violence. The situation is particularly bad in Chinatown for … obvious *cough* racist *cough* reasons … Fires are laid to homes and so far 3 burned bodies have been found.
Any further comments? The Solomon Islands’ could return to “The Tensions:” a five-year civil conflict between militias on Malaita and Guadalcanal that resulted in a fourteen-year deployment of peacekeepers. Unfortunately for Segavare, the best way to avoid such a return is his resignation …
