Bougainville Region Urges PNG National Government To Grant It Independence By 2025

Africa's Diaspora Communities | Papua New Guinea May 20, 2021

Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s autonomous region of Bougainville has urged the country’s national government to grant it independence by 2025, reported some PNG media on May 19, 2021.

The call is said to have been made by Bougainville’s leader Ishmael Toroana during a consultative meeting between the region and the national government, that was held in Kokopo, East New Britain, on May 16, 2021.

In a non-binding referendum called Bougainville Independence Referendum held in 2019, 97.7% of the region’s population voted in favor of independence hence cessation from PNG. However, for cessation to happen, the outcome of the referendum must be ratified by PNG parliament. So far, the ratification is still pending. The latter could be due to fear by PNG national government that independence of Bougainville could set a precedent for more cessation demands leading to disintegration of the highly diverse country. _________________________ © 2015 - 2021 Africauptodate. All Rights Reserved