Police in Solomon Islands will be officially rearmed today at a ceremony at the Rove Police Headquarters in Honiara.
It has been almost 14 years since local police officers have been allowed to carry firearms.
The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force was stripped of all its weapons in 2003 when the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands arrived following years of bloody ethnic conflict.
RSIPF PRT members demonstrating live firing certification at the Tenaru Firing Range Photo: RAMSI Public Affairs
This action was taken because the force had been compromised during the unrest, with police siding with militants.
Rearming local police has been a contentious issue, with some sections of society, mostly men, welcoming it while others, particularly women, still sceptical about the move.
Those to be armed are specialised units such as the police response team or riot squad, those providing security for the prime minister and visiting dignitaries and officers manning the police post at the country's international airport.
