by Jake Sanders, Editor
The Autonomous Government of Bougainville’s (ABG) newly established “external relations” office will prioritize building connections with the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) as it prepares for independence from Papua New Guinea.
In a 2019 referendum, the province overwhelmingly voted 97.7 percent in favor of independence, although this result has not yet been approved by PNG’s parliament. Nevertheless, Bougainville’s President Ishmael Toroama indicated to BenarNews that independence is expected to occur in 2027.
Unlike the Papuan provinces of Indonesia, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Guam, and American Samoa, which have been part of the UN decolonization process, Bougainville’s path to self-determination is outlined in the PNG constitution.
Following the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement—established after a devastating civil war linked to Rio Tinto’s Panguna mine—PNG remains responsible for foreign affairs while permitting the ABG to engage in external relations for trade and with regional organizations.
“Raising our flag at the MSG is a significant step forward,” Toroama stated in Brisbane. “We will begin with the MSG, aiming to become an observer.”
“We need support from other countries and to engage in discussions with them before independence,” said the former commander of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), who is set to face elections in 2025 after five years in office.
The MSG was established as a sub-regional alliance in 2007, including Fiji, PNG, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, along with the pro-independence Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) from New Caledonia, with the main aim of fostering economic development in the Melanesian region.
So far, the ABG has not approached the MSG, but Toroama is working to strengthen international economic connections.
In July, the ABG launched the External Relations Directorate within the president’s office, appointing former politician Albert Punghau as the acting director and former Bougainville president James Tanis as an “international legate.”
This initiative received positive feedback from the PNG prime minister’s department, which described it as an “important step.”
In a letter dated July 22, PNG government chief secretary Ivan Pomaleu expressed his expectation that the Directorate would work closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs on foreign relations, ensuring that these efforts align with national government policies.
Advice given to Pomaleu, which was reviewed by BenarNews, stated that under the BPA, the ABG has the right to create the Directorate for better foreign relations engagement, suggesting that this development was long overdue.