Thirty-six Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) personnel arrived in Fiji on Wednesday and hoping to be able to spend Christmas with their families.

They arrived after a month of deployment as part of ‘Task Force Cori Mada’ where they assisted in the restoration of security and stability in the Solomon Islands.

Fourteen RFMF troops are still in the Solomon Islands at the request of the Solomon Islands Government.

They will continue their tasking as delegated by the Solomon International Assisting Force.

On Tuesday, before the 36 soldiers arrived back, they renovated and repainted the Solomon Islands’ War Veterans Memorial Cemetery where five RFMF soldiers lay at rest.

The five were killed during the Battle for Guadalcanal in the Second World War.

The ladies from the Fijian community presented bales of clothes as ‘qusi ni buno’, a traditional appreciation ceremony to thank the troop for their work.

The ceremony coincided with the farewell of 36 soldiers.

The 36 RFMF who have arrived are in quarantine at the Tanoa International Hotel. Once cleared, they would be treated to a small reception at the Blackrock training camp before returning to their families.
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