Vanuatu Mobile Forces

Vanuatu Mobile Force
Flag of Vanuatu Mobile Forces
Active1980; 44 years ago (1980)
CountryVanuatu
AgencyVanuatu Police Force
Commanders
Current
commander
Colonel Astrophile Mwele
Website
Vanuatu Mobile Force

The Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF) is a small, mobile corps of 300 volunteers that makes up Vanuatu's military. Its primary task is to assist the Vanuatu Police Force. However, should Vanuatu be attacked, then the VMF will act as the first line of defence.[1] In 1994, VMF deployed 50 people to Papua New Guinea, as their first peacekeeping mission.[2]

Though the armed forces in Vanuatu have never overthrown a government, members of the VMF angry about their pay detained President Jean-Marie Léyé and Deputy Prime Minister Barak Sopé on October 12, 1996 but released them just a few hours later.[3]

  1. ^ "Vanuatu Mobile Force". Vanuatu Police Force. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  2. ^ "History". Vanuatu Police Force. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Vanuatu (1980-present)". Dynamic Analysis of Dispute Management (DADM) Project. Retrieved 10 September 2022.