Major-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai, the Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), stated that the year 2022 created optimal conditions for the military to embark on a journey of reconciliation. During his appearance on The Lens @177, he expressed that the desire for reconciliation had always existed but had previously been hindered by leadership issues and differing operational approaches.
“2022 set the right conditions for us to actually start moving in that direction. We set the tone in terms of what we had dedicated that we would do, honor the rule of law, we would allow the elections to go the way that it should have gone,” he remarked. He emphasized that this progress provided a foundation to begin the reconciliation process, particularly in welcoming back those soldiers who may have deviated from the RFMF.
The Commander acknowledged that the need for reconciliation arose from a shared acknowledgment that past actions, including a mutiny, had been wrong and involved mistakes from both sides. He noted, “We both agreed to settle things and make things right for us.” Focusing on members of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) unit involved in the mutiny, Ro Kalouniwai mentioned that efforts had already commenced.
He detailed that reconciliation efforts are being supported by teams dedicated to trauma healing, reaching out to affected soldiers and their families. “Those who are most affected are the families. The wives who were left without husbands for a long time, children who did not see their fathers for a long time, these are the people that we are focusing on as well,” he explained.
Moreover, he highlighted the importance of extending reconciliation beyond the soldiers to include their families. He acknowledged the particular hardships faced by those who lost their husbands and fathers during the mutiny.
Regarding the restoration phase, Ro Kalouniwai pointed out that the RFMF includes not only active soldiers but also those in the territorial and reserve forces. He emphasized that “a soldier is always a soldier until he dies,” underlining the significance of reintegrating all members back into the broader RFMF community.