The Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFB) was a nationalist militant organisation of the island of

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 se ...

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 capit ...

. The movement also included other factions such as the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army and the Guadalcanal Liberation Front which was led by

warlord A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...

Harold Keke Harold Keke (born 1971) is a Solomon Islands warlord involved with the Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army (GRA). Biography The grandson of one of the founders of the South Seas Evangelical Church in Australia, Keke was raised a Catholic in the So ...

. It was engaged in fighting against the Solomon Island Government and the Guadalcanal Provincial Government as well as with another militant organisation,

Malaita Eagle Force The Malaita Eagle Force was a militant organisation, originating in the island of Malaita, in the Solomon Islands. It was formed in the early 2000s and soon crossed over to Honiara, the capital of Solomon Islands. It was set up during 'The Ten ...

. In response to the fighting, the government 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 ...

. The group is said to be influenced by the

Moro Movement {{Use dmy dates, date=August 2014 The aim of the Moro Movement of Isatabu, in Solomon Islands, has been described as "Sai lima horohoro tuali" – "Putting lands together in living as before". A movement for social economic and political improv ...

of the 1930s, with its return to the name of Isatabu from the colonial Guadalcanal, an
demands
the establishment of a federal government system. Most militants, with the notable exception of Keke and the GLF, put down arms after leaders signed the

Townsville Peace Agreement The Townsville Peace Agreement was signed in Townsville, Australia on 15 October 2000 between the Malaita Eagle Force and the Isatabu Freedom Movement. The Agreement successfully calmed the situation in Honiara Honiara () is the capital and la ...

Quote

Dear Mr. Government

When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. utwhen I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist, (Anon)Quote actually from
Dom Hélder Pessoa Câmara Dom or DOM may refer to: People and fictional characters * Dom (given name), including fictional characters * Dom (surname) * Dom La Nena (born 1989), stage name of Brazilian-born cellist, singer and songwriter Dominique Pinto * Dom people, an et ...
(February 7, 1909, Fortaleza, Ceará, North East Brazil - August 27, 1999 Recife) a Roman Catholic Archbishop of Olinda and Recife. Noted forebear to the likes of " liberation theologian"
Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino Gustavo is the Latinate form of a Germanic male given name with respective prevalence in Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. It has been a common name for Swedish monarchs since the reign of Gustav Vasa. It is derived from Gustav /ˈɡʊstɑːv/, ...

The above saying epitomises what is happening to us.
Look, Mr. Government, when we give our land for your benefit and that of the nation-state,
You call us generous.
When we ask why we have not benefited, you ignored us.
When we start shouting, wanting to be heard, you call us troublemakers.
When we take up arms to ask what rightfully belongs to us, you call us militants.
When we became angry because you trampled on us, you call us hot-headed youth.
Those are the names you use to justify your disregard for/of us.
Soon, you may call us guerrillas or terrorists.
That, however, will not get rid of us.

(Isatabu Tavuli: The Isatabu Freedom Movement newsletter, 24 February 2000, volume 1 number 3: 3).

References

Politics of the Solomon Islands Political organisations based in the Solomon Islands Organisations based in the Solomon Islands {{Solomons-stub