Queen Elizabeth II remains head of state. 1988 - Solomon Islands join Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea to form the Spearhead Group, which aims to preserve Melanesian cultural traditions. 1997 - Bartholomew Ulufa'alu, a Malaitan, is elected prime minister. The Isatubu Freedom Movement, which says it represents the native people of Guadalcanal, begins to forcibly evict Malaitans, whom they accuse of taking jobs and land. At least 20,000 Malaitans are forced off Guadalcanal.
Fighting breaks out between the two rival militias.
It takes Batholomew Ulufa'alu hostage. He is subsequently forced to resign and replaced by Mannasseh Sogavare. October - A peace treaty between the two militias, brokered by Australia, is signed. Unarmed peacekeepers from Australia and New Zealand are deployed to supervise the handover of arms, many of which were bought after fighting on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea ended in 1998.