Before independence Vanuatu was called the New Hebrides and was colonized by both the British and the French.  Unlike other island groups where each side took a few islands, here they ruled through what they called a condominium.  Locals called it the British/French Pandemonium.  It was a system designed to protect the, often competing, colonial interests of British and French settlers and businesses with little concern for islanders. 

Islanders were stateless, holding neither British nor French nationality.  They had to seek special permission from both British and French authorities to travel off the islands.  There were separate English and French schools.  The condominium created landownership issues that haunted Vanuatu after independence.  Then there is the conflict between two different legal systems, English Common Law and French Civil Law.  Since independence Traditional indigenous law has become important.  We learned of some of that from our tour guide as we drove down the road that had separated the British and French quarters in Port Vila, the capital, with the French hospital and English hospital, French school and English school. 

One thing they could agree on was the war memorial to those who died in World War I built in 1929.

I understand how it is to try to run a country with multiple masters.  I managed a USAID project in Kosovo when the country was run by a “condominium” of competing powers called the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).  A department had a director from one country and a vice director from another, each working for their own country’s interest rather than for the interest of Kosovo.  This was particularly a problem when two OSCE members wanted to win a bid to build some infrastructure project basic to running a modern country, like the phone system.    

Serbian state radio and TV (RTS) continued broadcasting in Kosovo well after the Serbs left.  It was Kosovo government policy to shut down Serbian state broadcasting and let independent media flourish.  My job was to help build out and train those independent media outlets.  The government asked the NATO military force (KFOR) to shut down the RTS stations. An American Lt. Colonel asked a Spanish major, who was running radio detection equipment to find and shut down RTS transmitters.  I remember the meeting a week later where the Spanish major reported to the Americal Lt. Colonel.

“Major, have you found the RTS transmitters?”

“Yes Colonel.”

“Have you shut them down?”

“No Colonel.”

“Why NOT!!!?”

“They are being run from a KFOR base by our Russian colleagues Colonel”

Pause… I start laughing.  “Mr. McClear, do you think this is funny?”

“Yes Dwight, I do.”

At which point a British full bird colonel said.  “Well Dwight, you have to admit it is a bit ironic.”

“Well, Mr. McClear, what do you propose we do about it.”

“Dwight, the only thing we can do is go out and have a beer.”  I was seconded by the British Colonel.  Government by condominium.

During World War II the condominium became even more pandemonium when France capitulated and there were two antagonistic French interests, Vichy and the Free French.  Our guide, while standing at the war memorial said, “Thank God for the Americans.” 

But today, save for the Peace Corps, which still functions, the Americans are largely absent.

In December 2024 Port Vila suffered a major earthquake that toppled much of downtown and made the port inoperable.  The US responded quickly, rushing in aid, disaster teams and communications, especially Starlink satellite equipment, but that aid was frosen with the new administration.  Now the Australians are the largest aid providers and the Chinese are stepping up their game.  They had already built some highly visible projects, like the parliament building, and now they are repairing it.  They are also working on major infrastructure projects and funding the police.

With the port down we tendered into a dock near the mommy market, a crafts and fabric market run mostly by women.  It is NOT just a tourist market and existed at its present location before cruise ships tendered there.  After the tour we had a chance to browse this market.

And directly adjacent to the mommy market is the central market.

And also we had a stroll along the waterfront esplanade.