The Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, Major-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai has reaffirmed the RFMF’s historic decision during the December 2022 elections to honour the democratic process and respect the will of the people, noting that for the first time in more than three decades, the Force has remained free from political involvement in the media and public discourse.
Major-General Kalouniwai highlighted this to the troops in his end of the year parade after Commander of the Joint Task Force Command at Blackrock Camp in Nadi, Brigadier General Manoa Gadai offered to assist or even lead the Inter-Agency Joint Counter Drugs Operation from the Blackrock Camp.
In the parade at the Force Training Ground, the Commander said the RFMF continues to uphold the rule of law and democratic principles.
He also acknowledged the emotion and compassion behind those remarks, noting that Brigadier-General Gadai had spoken from a place of genuine concern for his people.
Major-General Kalouniwai confirmed that while Brigadier-General Gadai had overstepped the boundary of command and was verbally reprimanded, he had since apologised and acknowledged his mistake.
The Commander stressed that there was shared understanding regarding the substance of the message conveyed.
He says though he crossed the line that protects their hierarchical order of command, they both agreed that his message speaks to the reality of what is happening around us today.
Major-General Kalouniwai says it represents the truth and every concerned father, mother, brother and sister and every citizen of this country.
He says it is the cry of the silent majority who wait upon and hope for a solution to a drug problem that is rapidly killing our nation.
The Commander says it represents our greatest fear that it is existential in nature as we see its effects on our families, our communities and our people.
He says while they empathise with Brigadier-General Gadai, breaking the chain of command is one of the greatest sins within any military institution.
Major-General Kalouniwai adds he has given Brigadier-General Gadai the opportunity to submit his application through the proper process and have discussed the issue with the Minister.
The Commander has confirmed that last week, he ordered the interview of a RFMF personnel after the source of a social media post exposing those allegedly involved informed him of an RFMF mobile number that is allegedly passing information to drug syndicates in Fiji about RFMF plans and activities.
He says the phone has been confiscated and the individual concerned has been brought in, questioned, interviewed and ordered to take leave to allow for the immediate conduct of an independent investigation.
The Commander has issued a firm warning to all members of the Force, saying they cannot take matters into their own hands, and involvement in such illegal activities will not be condoned within the RFMF.
Meanwhile, Major-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai also reflected on the RFMF’s reconciliation efforts, undertaken in good faith to confront the institution’s past and rebuild trust.
He has cautioned that impatience led to the events of 1987, 2000 and 2006, while patience and trust in process enabled the RFMF to stand firm in 2022 and maintain professionalism over the past four years.
Major-General Kalouniwai acknowledged that while sincere, these efforts have at times been overshadowed by divisive narratives that dismiss reconciliation as meaningless or wasteful.
He says Fijians continue to witness both negative and positive realities such as abuse, corruption, favouritism and racism alongside success, love, unity, forgiveness and peace but rising expectations and impatience often overshadow the positives.
The Commander also noted that repeated societal challenges contribute to public frustration in an imperfect world, where opposition exists in almost everything.
The Commander warned that increasing materialism has weakened the nurturing of values and principles among younger generations, stressing the importance of patience, selflessness, compassion, charity and principled leadership as foundations of humanity and sound judgement.
He also highlighted that over the past three years, the RFMF has benefited from focusing on its core roles, achieving unprecedented defence engagements and advancing its capability and capacity transformation in line with the RFMF Five-Year Strategic Plan Beyond 2022.
Major-General Kalouniwai reminded members that while the world remains challenging and many events are beyond control, steady progress continues to be made.
The Commander, who is in the final year of his term, expressed pride in serving the Force.
He says their journey together has been humbling and transformative.
The Commander says he is proud to have led such inspiring and incredibly talented young men and women.
He says they are supported by experienced, well-educated leaders with a vision of a professional institution that every Fijian can trust and rely upon.
Acknowledging the significant challenges ahead over the next five years, he encouraged members to continue doing what is right, trust one another, listen, support each other, and always trust in God.
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