Papua New Guinea became independent from Australia in 1975. Almost immediately, the country faced a secessionist movement on the island of Bougainville. Significant amounts of copper ore were discovered on the island, which became crucial to Papua New Guinea’s economy and Bougainville became the sight of one of the largest mines in the world. The mine significantly increased tensions due to the impact of the mine and the influx of workers from Papua New Guinea and Australians. In 1988, the dispute became violent. A rebel group, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, was formed and began to fight the government. In 1990, the BRA declared independence, and the government blockaded Bougainville in retaliation. As the conflict continued, order broke down on Bougainville, and ethnic and gang violence became common. The government attempted to hire foreign mercenaries to defeat the insurgency, which caused an international incident and risked a military coup. The conflict ended with a ceasefire in 1997, after thousands of civilians were killed and displaced. Today, Papua New Guinea still struggles with severe amounts of gender-based violence and occasional fighting between tribal groups,
Peace efforts
In 1997, a ceasefire was implemented following successful negotiations in New Zealand. The two sides agreed to de-escalate, and government forces were withdrawn from the island. An interim peace monitoring mission, led by Australia and New Zealand, In 2001, the final peace agreement was reached, which included an autonomous government for Bougainville. As part of that agreement, an independence referendum was held in 2019. Following a victory for the pro-independence campaign, the central government and the Bougainville autonomous government reached an agreement in 2021 which will result in an independent Bougainville in 2027.
