We will complete our reconciliation process first - Army Commander

The Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai says the RFMF has been invited to be part of the Coalition Government’s national reconciliation process but the RFMF has to complete their's first.

He says the Reconciliation March held yesterday morning showed the commitment of the RFMF towards the reconciliation process.

Major General Kalouniwai says the Vanua Levu reconciliation process was a huge success for the RFMF and it also served as the platform for the RFMF to move the process to Suva. He says Viti Levu is a huge task for them, as they have been conducting their reconciliation meetings with those who were part of the mutiny in 2000, beginning with the former CRW soldiers and not only them but also the senior officers who were part of the RFMF back then.

He says the march was to actually bring them together as a family within the RFMF and to advocate the importance of reconciliation within the RFMF.

The Commander adds that members of the RFMF are grateful that the process is timely, even though it took them 23 years since the year 2000 to achieve the reconciliation process in Vanua Levu.

The Commader says most of the chiefs that were involved have passed on so it was their sons who were taking up that responsibility to agree to reconcile with the RFMF and to accept the fact that both sides had committed various wrongs that they need to reconcile with each other.

He says it was a great occasion for them to receive their acceptance, their apology, and also for them to receive the RFMF's apology and it's acceptance of their apology.

The Commander highlighted that it was a good thing to see them coming together and reconciling and they feel what they achieved in Labasa is something that thet certainly look forward to taking onward from here within Suva and also into the Vanua as well that has been affected by the 2000 coup.

He adds that the RFMF is looking forward to the 2nd of November, when they will complete the reconciliation process.

He says that is where they want to culminate the process but it doesn't stop them from actually continuing with the journey.

The Commander noted that there is a need for the Army to continue to visit the affected families, and support them given the fact that they were affected during the 2000 coup.

Major General Kalouniwai says part of the process as well is for them to try and see how they can reintegrate some of these affected soldiers back into the army.

He says some of them are very young, and still just over the age of 40.

Furthermore he adds during the upheaval in the year 2000, the very young soldiers went in - the wrong place at the wrong time - resulting in them being incarcerated for six to eight years.