militant
The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Latin " ...
organisation, originating in the island of
Malaita
Malaita is the primary island of Malaita Province in Solomon Islands. Malaita is the most populous island of the Solomon Islands, with a population of 161,832 as of 2021, or more than a third of the entire national population. It is also the se ...
, in the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
. It was formed in the early 2000s and soon crossed over to Honiara, the capital of Solomon Islands.
It was set up during 'The Tension' in the Solomons, which were mainly centred on
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
, to defend diasporic Malaitans in Guadalcanal and the property of Malaitans that have left the island.
Their spokesperson was Andrew Nori and their media reports were entitled "The Eagles View Point".
The force was mainly engaged in fighting the Isatabu Freedom Movement and the Solomon Islands government, which enacted the
Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands
The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), also known as Operation Helpem Fren, Operation Anode and Operation Rata (by New Zealand), was created in 2003 in response to a request for international aid by the Governor-General of ...
in response. One of its rebel leaders was
Jimmy Rasta
Jimmy Lusibaea (born 7 July 1970), also known as Jimmy "Rasta", is a Solomon Islands politician.
He was born in Malu'u, Malaita Province.
. Andrew Nori has also been described as one of its early leaders, and was the spokesman for the Eagles when they overthrew Prime Minister
Bartholomew Ulufa'alu
Bartholomew (Bart) Ulufa'alu (25 December 1950 – 25 May 2007) was the fifth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from 27 August 1997 to 30 June 2000.Charles Dausabea
Charles Dausabea (21 August 1960Biography
military police
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...
in
Honiara
Honiara () is the capital and largest city of Solomon Islands, situated on the northwestern coast of Guadalcanal. , it had a population of 92,344 people. The city is served by Honiara International Airport and the seaport of Point Cruz, and lie ...
. They
overprint
An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage or revenue stamp, postal stationery, banknote or ticket after it has been printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative pur ...
ed the current
definitive stamp
A definitive stamp is a postage stamp that is part of the regular issue of a country's stamps, available for sale by the post office for an extended period of time and designed to serve the everyday postal needs of the country. The term is used in ...
s that had been seized from the
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
, with the words "Malaita Eagle Force", to indicate they were in power. However, these stamps were never officially issued because the Malaita Eagle Force were disarmed after the
Townsville Peace Agreement
The Townsville Peace Agreement was signed in Townsville, Australia on 15 October 2000 between the Malaita Eagle Force
The Malaita Eagle Force was a militant organisation, originating in the island of Malaita, in the Solomon Islands. It was for ...