Fiji Army - Profile And Issues

The Fiji Army or the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) is one of the smallest armies in the world with 3,500 men, 2,950 of whom are in active duty serving in six infantry battalions and one engineer battalion. The Fiji Army has three battalions comprising 350 reserves.

The Fiji Infantry Regiment's first two regular battalions are usually sent on peacekeeping duties with the 1st Battalion stationed in Iraq, Lebanon and East Timor following United Nation's order. Meanwhile, the 2nd Battalion is sent to the Sinai with the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), an independent global organization overseeing the implementation of security as outlined in the Treaty of Peace between the countries of Israel and Egypt. The 3rd Battalion of the Fiji Army is stationed in Fiji's capital city of Suva. The remaining three battalions are in different parts of the Fiji islands.

Additionally, the Fiji Army includes 300 Navy men. The Military Navy was founded about thirty years ago in 1975 after the Fiji government ratified the United Nations Law of the Sea convention. The Navy has responsibility for the country's maritime border control and protecting Fiji's economic zone. It also organizes rescue missions. The Navy operates nine patrol boats. Australia, China and the United Kingdom are the primary source of military aid. However, UK has suspended its aid due to the recent military coup in the country.

The Fiji Army has decades of history of political tensions. In the year 1987 alone, military men staged two coup d'états and then again in 2000, soldiers were responsible for a countercoup against the civilian group of George Speight. Since the start of the millennium, the Fiji Army has had a tumultuous relationship with the government of Laisenia Qarase, Fiji's Prime Minister. The Fiji Army has objected to Qarase's plans of forming a Commision with the authority to pardon coup perpetrators.

The Fiji Government has announced its intention of reducing the size of the Fiji Army and at the same time increasing the size of the country's police force. To cut down costs, the Fiji Army has limited some of its operations such as maritime patrols, school cadet trainings, search and rescues and others diverting priority to peacekeeping operations in Iraq and Sinai, officer cadet training with the Defence Forces of New Zealand and other priority activities.

On December 5th 2006, the Fiji Army staged another coup d'état, which is a result of ongoing tensions between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians.