Manele to raise ‘safe return of 2 SI girls’ from PNG with Marape

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The safe return of two Solomon Islands girls from Papua New Guinea to reunite with their father is now on the agenda of the highest leadership of both countries when they meet in Tonga next week.

The issue of the return of the two girls Mercy Aninono Siwainao and Cinderella Aroahia Siwainao was brought to the Parliament yesterday when the MP for East Are’are Peter Kenilorea Jr had asked the Prime Minister, Jeremiah Manele, to raise the issue with his PNG counterpart, James Marape, during next week’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga.

Manele had assured Parliament that the matter is now on the agenda and he would raise it with Marape.

Dr Jack Siwainao, the father of the two girls had been rallying since 2022 for the safe return of his daughters’ following the demise of his Papua New Guinean wife. The girls were said to have been forced to unlawfully changed their identities and were allegedly in the custody of a senior government official in PNG.

Dr Siwainao had already gone to the social media to appeal for the prime ministers of Solomon Islands and PNG to help get his daughters back to Honiara. Since then there was no progress on the front.

However, the issue will now be discussed next week as assured by PM Manele in response to Kenilorea on Thursday.

“I would like the prime minister to bring this up at the highest level with his counterpart of PNG of the case of Siwainao girls. I think it is important as leader of our nation to ensure that our citizens have protection and reunited with their father,” the MP for East Are’are, said.

He said in raising the issue it can be discussed at the highest level of government.

“It is important that this issue be brought to a just end and that these two girls return to their father,” said Kenilorea.

“Solomon Islanders returning back to their Solomon Islands father,” said the Leader of Independent Group.

In response, PM Manele stated that the Solomon Islands high commissioner to PNG has been following up on this matter.

He confirmed that it is on the agenda and it would be one of the issues he would be raising and following up with Prime Minister Marape when they meet bilaterally in the margins of the PIF.