Fighters from the island paradise to help Austrians

11th April 2013, 19:35
Translated via Google Translate


Four military coups in 20 years and many foreign missions

160 soldiers from Fiji to the Austrian peacekeepers in the Golan Heights assist in the border area between Syria and Israel. So that money flows back into the economy of the impoverished island republic. Because the income from the numerous UN peacekeeping missions of the Fijian army are an important source of income for the families of soldiers dar. total 3500 soldiers are active in military service. Two of the three battalions of the regular armed forces are working for the United Nations in Lebanon, Iraq, East Timor and in the Sinai.

In addition to know-how from a peacekeeper soldiers of the 850,000 inhabitants Republic can not rely on a completely different experience: In the past 20 years, the mini-army coup four times against the government in the capital, Suva. Finally, the 2006 was the case, since there is a military government in Fiji.

On the Golan probably not used to that the approximately 300-strong Marine of the island. This can at least nine patrol boats call their own. Compared with the equipment of the land forces is that much: According to media reports, have the Fijian armed forces after a crash in 1994 only a helicopter. (Red, derStandard.at, 04/11/2013)

• photo: AP photo / rick rycroft
  When the Fijian soldiers of the army did not overthrow the governance, they parade in front of the government palace in the capital, Suva.