Meet the Pacific island that wants to become the world's newest country

The path to independence

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

The island of Bougainville, located in the Pacific Ocean, has a clear goal: it wants to become an independent country by 2027 and begin a new phase as a sovereign nation.

Longing for autonomy

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

Although Bougainville is still part of Papua New Guinea, in Oceania, north of Australia, its 300,000 inhabitants have long desired sovereign status.

An island with its own identity

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

Bougainvilleans feel more culturally and linguistically close to the Solomon Islands, another country in the same archipelago. They are also closer geographically.

The Story of Bougainville

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

Germany occupied Bougainville in 1886 as part of its belated imperial expansion into the Pacific. However, following its defeat in World War I, the island came under Australian rule.

A disputed territory

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

During the Second World War, Japan occupied the island to support its Southwest Pacific operations. The Allies took it back in 1945, three years after the attack and restored it to Australia.

The post-war period

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

Australia placed Bougainville within its Papua New Guinean region, which gained independence in 1975. Bougainvilleans were not pleased, as they wanted to create a new state.

The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

In 1976, an agreement was reached that established the Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, which gave the island a certain degree of administrative independence and self-government power.

Conflicts on the island

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

Even so, the desire for independence persisted. Between 1989 and 2001, Bougainville was the scene of a violent civil war, which pitted separatist groups against the central government.

The end of the conflict

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

According to The Guardian, the tiny island surprisingly won the brutal war, which ended with New Zealand and Australian mediation and a promise to revisit Bougainville's independence.

Photo: Denise Jans / Unsplash

Plebiscite in 2019

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

It took decades, but in 2019, the Papua New Guinea authorities held a referendum in which 98% of Bougainvilleans voted for independence. After electing a new president in 2020, negotiations started in 2021 to bring independence to the tiny Pacific island.

A new constitution?

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

The 2021 agreement promised that Bougainvilleans could implement complete independence starting in 2025 and not later than 2027. The authorities recently set the date for September 1, 2027.

Photo: Unsplash - Kiwihug

An economic plan

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

The Guardian reported at the end of last year, Bougainville took important steps towards self-government, presenting an economic plan, creating a tax authority, and opening a justice center.

Depending on others

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

Still, the path to sovereign status is rocky. The 2021 deal calls for the Papuan parliament to approve the referendum, but Prime Minister James Marape has suggested a slower process.

The island is still financially dependent

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

Marape cited the island’s financial dependency—generating just 7% of its budget—as one of the reasons behind the pace, despite reassuring that he would address the issue “responsibly and compassionately.”

Mining on the island

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

Bougainville's president, former rebel Ishmael Toroama, has advocated reopening the Panguna mine, which closed in 1989 but still holds reserves of up to $60 billion in gold and copper.

An open wound

The path to independence, Longing for autonomy, An island with its own identity, The Story of Bougainville, A disputed territory, The post-war period, The Autonomous Territory of Bougainville, Conflicts on the island, The end of the conflict, Plebiscite in 2019, A new constitution?, An economic plan, Depending on others, The island is still financially dependent, Mining on the island, An open wound

The Guardian noted the mine was at the center of the civil war, sparking anger over environmental damage and land occupation. When it closed, the Papuan government lost 20% of its revenue.

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