Minister Iduri Opens Malaita Peace Summit

Minister Iduri Opens Malaita Peace Summit In Auki

Minister for Peace and Reconciliation Sam Iduri yesterday opened the Malaita leader's peace summit in the provincial capital, Auki.

In his opening address, Mr Iduri said the Grand Coalition for Change Government has a policy guiding national and inter-provincial reconciliation to pursue the peace process.

He said the government is aware of the challenges affecting the current peace process and pledges to address them as soon as possible.

"While the law and order situation and social stability continues to show improvements in the country, peace building and reconciliation processes faced major challenges.

"The government is committed to address the outstanding issues, structural, root and symptomatic causes of the recent ethnic conflict," he said.

The Minister said the human will to survive rises above all struggles, challenges and brokenness and that the choice and determination to reconcile and forgive one another is critically important to the continued coexistence of a united Solomon Islands.

He said Malaita as a province and people have made major progress in many ways since the worst years of our history from 1998-2003.

Mr Iduri said much of the social and economic reconstruction and development on Malaita is attributed to the sheer hard work and resilience by Malaitans across all sectors.

He further pointed out the fact that the road of reconciliation is hard and painful and it is not easy to forgive or love our enemies and reconcile with those who have caused us much grief.

"For any of us to embrace those we have wronged but of equal importance is the simple truth that without forgiveness and reconciliation any efforts to rebuild Solomon Islands would be most difficult indeed," he said.

The Malaita Leaders Summit is attended by leaders in a cross section of Malaita including displaced people, youths, women, church leaders, former combatants and both National and Provincial Leaders of Malaita Province.

ENDS

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