Ethnic conflict has abated under the terms of a peace agreement signed in October, but severe economic hardship and the presence of hundreds of automatic weapons in the hands of former fighters suggest that the peace could unravel at any time. Non-essential travel to Guadalcanal and the capital city of Honiara should deferred. There is no U.S. Embassy in the Solomon Islands – the nearest is in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – but there is a consular agent in Honiara.
