Vanuatu?

A U.S. tie for Vanuatu?

On more than one occasion since

independence, the foreign policy

of Vanuatu has set an alarmist cat among the South Pacific pi geons. The most recent example was last year’s diplomatic recog nition of Cuba.

This provoked a chorus of apparent astonishment and horror from neighbors and other inter ested parties, and much specula tion as to what ideology the

government had embraced.

Some commentators excused Vanuatu for its actions by assum ing that the government had been led astray by foreign advisers, or even by its own United Nations representative. Others suggested, ominously, that Vanuatu was

thoughtlessly leading the South

Pacific into danger. Michael So mare went on record as having expressed the concern felt by

Report from Vanuatu

Julie-Ann Ellis