Head of State commissions Fiji’s new Ambassador to Indonesia

The President of the Republic of Fiji, His Excellency Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, today commissioned Fiji’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Indonesia, Ratu Isoa Delamisi Tikoca, at State House this morning.

Ambassador Ratu Isoa has extensive experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, strategic leadership, foreign policy implementation, and governance. He has previously served as Fiji’s High Commissioner and Ambassador to several Pacific nations and held senior leadership roles within Government and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF).

During his military career with the RFMF from 1973 to 1995, Ratu Isoa rose through the ranks to become a Colonel. He held a number of key command appointments, including Commanding Officer of the RFMF Engineers in 1989 and later Commanding Officer of the RFMF Headquarters in 1991.

In recognition of his leadership and negotiation skills, he was appointed to several senior United Nations peacekeeping roles. Between 1992 and 1995, he served in Somalia as Chief Operations Officer and later Chief Military Observer, overseeing operations in Mogadishu and surrounding areas, including parts of Eastern Ethiopia and the Northern Sector of Kenya.

He later served at the United Nations Headquarters in New York as Military Adviser on UN deployments in Central and East Africa before being posted to Arusha, Tanzania, as a UN Military Adviser and Negotiator involved in efforts to establish a Broad-Based Transitional Government aimed at uniting military and political factions in Rwanda.

Ratu Isoa subsequently served as Chief Military Observer with the United Nations forces in Rwanda, where he played a key role during the conflict and the period following the war. He later served as Political and Military Adviser under the United Nations Department of Political Affairs.

Following his military service, Ratu Isoa continued his contribution to national development within Fiji’s civil service. From 1996 to 1999, he served as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Fijian Affairs, where he also chaired the Fijian Affairs Scholarship Committee.

He later served as Commissioner Central Division and Commissioner Western Division before being appointed as Fiji’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and Ambassador to Timor-Leste.

Ratu Isoa is a graduate of the Officer Cadet School in Portsea, Victoria, Australia, and has undertaken extensive military and engineering training in India, Australia, and New Zealand.