‘Terrible Loss to the World’ – Pacific Condemns Murder of Abe

Members of the Pacific Island Forum “firmly” condemned the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a political rally on Friday.

Pacific Islands Forum chairman Frank Bainimarama said Abe was a true friend of the region and a model for any leader.

The Fijian prime minister also said the “shocking and cowardly” attack has cast a long shadow over the G20 meeting in Indonesia and the summit of the Pacific Islands forum leaders in Suva.

Abe, 67, died after being gunned down Friday during an election campaign event in the south-central city of Nara, Japan. A 41-year-old man has been arrested for the shooting as Japanese authorities launch a murder investigation into the murder, police said Monday.

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In his tribute, Bainimarama said that Abe had always been a loyal friend to Fiji and to him personally. “I pray that in his memory we can strive for an end to violence in every corner of the world, as he was a peaceful legacy,” he said. “Mr Abe’s death is a terrible loss for Japan and the world†

The forum has joined a stream of tributes from around the world. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern sent New Zealand’s condolences to Japan “at this time of deep sorrow and deep shock. This act of violence against Japan’s longest-serving prime minister is unfathomable and we stand with Japan in its condemnation of what has happened.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also condemned the murder, saying he was “still in shock” by the news of Abe’s murder. “The friendship that the former Japanese Prime Minister offered Australia was warm in feeling and profound in consequence. No one was more committed to fostering relations between our two nations.”

Former Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said he was “deeply saddened” by the shocking news of Abe’s assassination.

“This attack was an act of brutality that took place while he was campaigning ahead of his country’s general election – the bedrock of democracy,” Rabuka said.

“Abe was Japan’s youngest prime minister in the post-war era, a visionary statesman, a charismatic leader and a ruthless champion of democratic values ​​and ideals.”

The tributes come as the Pacific Islands forum leaders’ meeting kicks off in Suva. Representatives from 18 countries, including New Zealand and Australia, will attend the summit from July 11-14. This is the first face-to-face meeting since the coronavirus outbreak hit the region in March 2020.

But the Leaders Forum took an early hit† On Sunday, the Kiribati government confirmed it has withdrawn from the forum “with immediate effect”.

Kiribati’s president Taneti Maamau had reportedly written to the forum’s secretary-general, Henry Puna, expressing his government’s concerns about the regional body’s leadership. Puna’s appointment has been a controversial issue for the Micronesian group, with five members threatening to withdraw from the forum by 2020.

Last month, the forum announced it had agreed to prevent Micronesia from leaving, and the Suva Agreement was sealed.

But Maamau said Kiribati did not sign the deal, which was touted to repair the leadership breach and prevent the Micronesian subregion, which includes the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia, from splitting off from its main political institution. the region. †

With China high on its agenda and the region’s ongoing climate, conflict and Covid-19 crises, among other topics to be discussed, the Leaders Forum is working to convince Kiribati to reconsider its threat.

The 2050 strategy for the blue Pacific continent, New Zealand’s commitment to is expected to be signed at the Leaders Forum.