Ratu ''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to re ...

Tevita Kapaiwai Lutunauga Uluilakeba Mara is a

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

an career soldier who held the rank of

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

as of early 2006. On 3 February, he was named Army Chief of Staff, succeeding

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Meli Saubulinayau Colonel Ratu Meli Saubulinayau is a former Fijian career soldier, who, as of January 2006, headed the Strategic Unit in Suva. He was appointed to the post at the beginning of January 2006. Previously the Acting Land Force Commander, he had bee ...

, who was a close relative of his. This position is the fourth highest in the Fijian

Military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, behind that of the Military Commander (

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore, a ...

Frank Bainimarama Josaia Voreqe "Frank" Bainimarama (Fijian: ʃoˈsɛia βoˈreŋɡe mbɛiniˈmarama born 27 April 1954) is a Fijian politician and former naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. A member of the FijiFirst ...

), Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff RFMF (

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Esala Teleni Commodore Esala Teleni (born circa 1958 - died 28 February 2020) was a Fijian naval officer, who served the military-backed interim government as Commissioner of the Fiji Police Force from 1 July 2007 to mid-2010. He then served as Fiji's Amb ...

) and the Land Force Commander (Lieutenant Colonel Pita Driti). Mara held the position for several months, before he was appointed Commanding Officer of the Third Infantry Regiment, a key position in the Fiji Army as he controls the infantry division, that has about 500 gun-carrying soldiers. He attended his staff course at Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College, Haigate, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2005 (Class 34/2005). In May 2011 he was charged with mutiny and accused of attempting to overthrow Bainimarima's government. He fled Fiji on 9 May 2011 with the aid of the

Royal Tongan Navy His Majesty's Armed Forces (HMAF) is the military of Tonga. It is composed of three operational components and two support elements (logistics and training groups). The mission of HMAF is to: "Defend the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Tonga". Th ...

, and has been declared a fugitive by the Fijian government under the

Extradition Extradition is an action wherein one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, over to the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdict ...

Act. Mara released a video on 14 May criticising Bainimarima and the Fijian Attorney-General,

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (born 24 September 1965) is an Indo-Fijian politician and a cabinet minister. He is the Fijian attorney general and the Minister for Economy, Civil Service and Communications, and also serves the minister responsible for c ...

. He subsequently met with officials in Australia and New Zealand. Mara is the only surviving son of the late

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...

Kamisese Mara Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, (6 May 1920 – 18 April 2004) was a Fijian politician, who served as Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the fi ...

, Fiji's longtime

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

and

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

. He first joined the Army in 1988. His older brother,

Finau Mara Ratu Alifereti Finau Mara (1957– 15 April 2020) was a Fijian lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was best known as the eldest son of former Prime Minister and President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Since December 2001, he held the official position ...

, has also served in the Army. His older sister,

Adi Adi or ADI may refer to: Names and titles * Adi (mythology), an Asura in Hindu faith who appears in the Matsya Purāṇa * Adi (name), a given name in Hebrew and a nickname in other languages * Adi (title), a Fijian title used by females of chie ...

Koila Nailatikau Adi Koila Mara Nailatikau is a Fijian lawyer, who has served as a diplomat and politician. She was also First Lady of Fiji from 2009 until 2015, as the wife of Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, the President of Fiji. Family background Vasemaca Koila J ...

is married to the military-appointed

President of Fiji The president of Fiji is the head of state of the Republic of Fiji. The president is appointed by the Parliament for a three-year term under the terms of the 2013 Constitution of Fiji. Although not entirely a figurehead, the role of president ...

Epeli Nailatikau Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, (born 5 July 1941) (often referred to as ''Na Turaga Mai Naisogolaca'') is a Fijian chief who was President of Fiji from 2009 to 2015. He has had a long career in the Military, diplomatic service, and go ...

. Mara currently serves as an advisor to the

King of Tonga This is a list of monarchs of Tonga since 1845, after the Constitution of Tonga established the role of the monarch. The first monarch of Tonga was George Tupou I. 2008 cession of powers Three days before his coronation on 1 August 2008, th ...

, where he enjoys the privileges of a noble in the Pacific island kingdom. He is married to Dolores Thaggard, a pharmacist.

References

Living people Fijian chiefs Fijian soldiers People from Lakeba Vuanirewa Year of birth missing (living people) People educated at Marist Brothers High School, Fiji Fijian exiles Fijian expatriates in Malaysia Fijian expatriates in Tonga Tongan nobles Fijian expatriates in Australia Children of national leaders {{Fiji-bio-stub

See also

References