The
President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, James Tanis, will visit
the Mongai region of south Bougainville again next weekend as he works to
strengthen the peace process. Mr Tanis will hold talks with the Mekamui
breakaway region’s Commander Damien Koike [seen left with Mr Tanis] and will spend two days at the
village of Mogoroi.
Mr
Koike has already agreed to establish a stable Bougainville by peaceful means
and has foresworn the force of arms, saying he will not fight any more.
Mr
Tanis is now working on a process to get all the commanders out of Bougainville
so they can negotiate true peace on neutral ground.
Upon
his return from Madang last night, Mr Tanis said he had succeeded in getting
the former Bougainville Affairs Minister Sir Peter Barter to co-chair a meeting
along with the head of the United Nations Development Program in PNG.
The
President also talked to PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to get funding
support for this process.
Meanwhile,
PNG Deputy Prime Minister, Puka Temu [with Mr Tanis, right], this week submitted a budget for the weapons
disposal program on Bougainville, which will strongly support the work of the
ABG.
Story & photos
by Aloysius Laukai
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