SUVA — A prominent traditional leader and former United Nations security official has delivered a blunt rebuke of Fiji’s foreign policy, accusing elected politicians of sidelining professional diplomats and allowing foreign envoys to shape national decisions to their own advantage.
In a strongly worded social media post on Monday, Rewa High Chief Ro Naulu Mataitini warned that political behaviour and a lack of strategic focus have eroded Fiji’s capacity to defend its interests as global powers expand their footprint in the Pacific. Mataitini, who previously served in UN security roles, said Fiji’s diplomats are being reduced to “protocol and consular offices” while foreign missions in Suva are increasingly resourced to pursue their countries’ strategic aims.
“For many years Fiji’s foreign policy suffered,” he wrote, noting that “new embassies are opening. Non-resident ambassadors are flocking to Suva. They see Fiji as a platform for influence in the Pasifika. They send their best people. They resource them properly.” He asked whether Fiji is matching that investment abroad, querying whether diplomats in Canberra, Beijing, Wellington or Washington are being empowered to advance and defend Fijian interests.
Mataitini singled out Australia as a clear example of imbalance. “We have now had three Australian High Commissioners who exerted and continue to exert enormous influence over our government,” he said. “The current HC is selling Australia’s interests brilliantly. His success is built on our political gullibility.” His remarks imply Canberra’s envoys enjoy privileged access to ministers — access he said is not reciprocated for Fiji’s own missions overseas.
The chief’s critique went beyond external actors to focus squarely on domestic politics. He criticised the performative instincts of some politicians — promising anything to win office then succumbing to “ceremonial glorification” and flattery — and warned those behaviours limit honest assessment of policy and reputational risk. “Are we leveraging the insights of our Heads of Missions? Or are we allowing foreign envoys in Suva — with unfettered access to our ministers — to shape our policy to their advantage?” he asked.
Mataitini called for what he described as a “strategic reset” of Fiji’s foreign policy, urging that ambassadors and embassy resources be prioritised so they can actively shape regional conversations rather than simply react. He framed the warning as particularly urgent amid a broader geopolitical contest in the Pacific, where increased diplomatic activity and the opening of missions signal intensified competition for influence.
There was no immediate response from government ministers to Mataitini’s comments. His intervention arrives as the region confronts a range of external pressures — from shifting great-power dynamics to global economic shocks — that analysts say make coherent, well-resourced diplomacy increasingly important for small island states.
The Rewa chief’s public challenge is the latest in a series of voices urging Pacific governments to sharpen foreign policy instruments. Whether it prompts a review of embassy staffing and resourcing, or a formal response from Suva, remains to be seen as diplomatic activity in the capital continues to accelerate.