Talanoa Tonga has reported that Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla, has been invited to attend the 53rd Pacific Island Leaders Meeting, scheduled from August 26-30, 2024. The invitation is reportedly from the Tongan government in recognition of Musk’s previous assistance following the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai eruption and tsunami in February 2022.
After the disaster, Musk’s SpaceX and Starlink services provided emergency satellite internet terminals to Tonga, helping restore communication. This support has become crucial once again as Tonga grapples with an internet crisis caused by the June 29 earthquake, which damaged the country’s underwater cable. The outer islands of Ha’apai and Vava’u have been particularly affected, with limited access to the internet.
In response, the Tongan government granted Starlink a provisional six-month permit to operate while repairs are underway. However, these repairs have been delayed due to the breakdown of a specialized repair vessel en route from Singapore. Tonga Cable CEO Semisi Panuve indicated earlier this week that the timeline for full restoration remains uncertain, depending on the extent of the damage and the availability of replacement cable.
In addition to addressing the internet crisis, Tonga is also working to provide 150 prefabricated container houses in and around Nuku’alofa, expected to be set up by Friday. Despite these challenges, Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni remains optimistic as the country prepares for the upcoming leaders’ meeting.
The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting will focus on the theme, “A Transformative and Resilient Pasifiki: Build Better Now.” The Forum will gather leaders to discuss and agree on policies that benefit the people of the Pacific region. Hosted by the Government of Tonga, the meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku.
The Pacific Islands Forum consists of 18 members: Australia, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
