Nauru’s Geopolitical Clout

The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru is wielding some serious geopolitical clout at the moment. With a population of just 13,000, a land area comprising of a single 21 square kilometer island, and an oceanic territory of 200 nautical miles, Nauru is currently positioned on several fronts to play a pivotal role in Pacific geopolitical tensions, the hot and very contentious new frontier of deep-sea mining, as well as Australia’s domestic politics due to the controversial immigration detention center it has operated in Nauru since 2001. Reports at the time estimated 3.75 million tons of soil would be needed to replace the mined lands, at a cost way beyond what the BPC or the three governments that had governed Nauru since World War I – Australia, Britain, and New Zealand – were willing to bear. Dubbed the “Pacific solution,” Australia built and funded an immigration detention center on Nauru for people seeking refuge, mostly from Middle East conflicts in the post-9/11 era. Waqa’s name is often prefaced with the word “controversial.” According to Radio New Zealand, “Waqa was a controversial figure during his time as Nauru president, for his treatment of refugees and the judiciary, while there are accusations, he received bribes in a case that remains open.” The recently repaired Pacific Islands Forum, which brought all the Micronesian nations back into the fold after they all left in 2021 over the secretary general position, meant concerns about Waqa were set aside for the sake of forum unity.