The latest conflict on the Solomons main island of Guadalcanal has its roots in the second World War battle in which US Marines stormed its beaches in 1942 to drive out the Japanese.
The beach was to become the capital, Honiara, and the Americans brought people in their thousands from neighbouring Malaita island to help with porterage on the invasion beaches of Guadalcanal.
The Malaitans stayed after the war to form the nucleus of emerging Honiara town and its environs. But ethnic strife developed as original Guadalcanal residents complained that their land had been usurped by settlers.
The Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM) was formed 18 months ago to expel the Malaitans. In response, Malaitan militants formed the Malaita Eagle Force. Since then, at least 55 people have been killed or have disappeared and 20,000 people - mainly Malaitans - have been expelled from Guadalcanal.
A peace process which has involved three European Parliament members and two African diplomats, including the Commonwealth deputy secretary-general, Mr Ade Adesfuyea, broke down last week. The peace talks were to have been chaired by Mr Sitiveni Rabuka, the former Fiji prime minister who rose to power after orchestrating two coups in 1987.
But Mr Rabuka had more pressing business in his homeland where a bankrupt businessman claiming to be acting in the name of indigenous Fijians took the elected government of Mr Mahendra Chaudhry hostage on May 19th.
Talks to free the 30 Fijian hostages have broken down and military rulers have said they will no longer listen to demands by the rebel leader, Mr George Speight.