A United States development agency whose return to the Solomon Islands was delayed for years without explanation has found “overwhelming support and enthusiasm” for its work. The Pacific island nation’s leader told officials: “We need you,” according to a previously unpublished report.
The Peace Corps findings highlight the agency’s inexplicable failure to resume operations in the archipelago nearly five years after announcing its return as the United States and China vie for influence.
The Solomon Islands Re-entry Assessment Report, obtained by Al Jazeera through a freedom of information request, paints a picture of strong support for the agency to resume its work in the country after a two-decade absence, both among the local population and within the population the government.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is quoted in the report as telling Peace Corps officials, “We need you,” while Attorney General John Muria is quoted as saying the agency is “truly having a lasting impact on the… people and communities in the Solomon Islands”.
“On site, the assessment team received an open and enthusiastic welcome from the Solomon Islands government at all levels, from the prime minister to the provincial level,” the agency’s report said.
“The team was equally supported by other development partners, non-governmental organizations, international volunteer organizations, service providers and suppliers, former Peace Corps employees, and community members who were taught by Peace Corps volunteers.”
The Peace Corps, which withdrew from the Solomon Islands in 2000 amid ethnic violence, commissioned the report to examine the feasibility of resuming operations in the country after Honiara received a formal invitation to return in February 2019.
In August, the assessment team submitted its report recommending the agency’s return after concluding that the Solomon Islands provides a “conducive environment in which volunteers can work meaningfully and safely with necessary medical care and logistical support.” can serve”.
“From the Prime Minister and national and regional government ministries to service providers, local community members and former Peace Corps personnel, the team was warmly welcomed and strongly encouraged to bring volunteers back to the ‘Hapi Islands,'” it said Report.
“The Peace Corps has had a lasting impact on the country and our absence is felt, especially in the education sector.”
The Peace Corps publicly announced the resumption of its Solomon Islands program in October, with the first volunteers scheduled to arrive in mid-2021.
The Solomon Islands, located approximately 2,000 kilometers northeast of Australia, are one of the poorest countries in the Pacific, whose population suffers from limited access to quality education and healthcare.
While the Solomon Islands closed its borders for more than two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency’s continued absence and the current status of its planned return have not been publicly explained.
Although the Peace Corps temporarily suspended operations in the Pacific during the pandemic, its volunteers have since returned to neighboring countries such as Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.
Other similar agencies have also resumed work in the Solomon Islands, including the Australian Volunteers, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Korea International Cooperation Agency and New Zealand’s Volunteer Service Abroad.
The U.S. Congress appropriated just $500 for the 2024 fiscal year for the Peace Corps’ work in the archipelago, suggesting there is little prospect of an early return.
In December, Al Jazeera reported that opposition politicians in the Solomon Islands and US observers suspected that Sogavare’s government was deliberately delaying the agency’s return to curry favor with China, which has made major advances in the archipelago in recent years.
Sogavare cut ties with Taiwan in 2019 to recognize China and signed cooperation agreements with Beijing on security and policing in 2022 and last year, sparking alarm in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Although the Solomon Islands is one of the world’s smallest countries with a population of about 720,000 people, its strategic location in the Pacific has made it the focal point of the heated competition for influence between Washington and Beijing.
The status of Honiara’s relations with Beijing is currently in limbo as Sogavare struggles to form a government with opposition MPs after this week’s inconclusive general election.
Sogavare is seeking a fifth term but is being challenged by at least three opposition leaders, including Peter Kenilorea Jr., who has vowed to restore ties with Taipei.
The Peace Corps and the Solomon Islands government did not respond to requests for comment.
Catherine Ebert-Gray, who served as US ambassador to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu from 2016 to 2019, expressed hope that the agency could resume work in the country.
“I hope that the next parliament and government will renew their interest in returning Peace Corps volunteers to rural villages to support the country’s environmental, health and education plans,” Ebert-Gray told Al Jazeera .