NZ asked to lead Bougainville independence vote security aid

Tuesday, 5 March 2019, 4:23 pm
Article: RNZ

NZ asked to head security mission during Bougainville vote

New Zealand has been asked to lead a regional support mission to assist with security during Bougainville's independence referendum in October.

Bougainville government president John Momis, left, and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill sign the agreement on the question for the independence referendum. Photo: Joseph Nobetau

Papua New Guinea and the autonomous Bougainville government agreed at their Joint Supervisory Body (JSB) meeting last Friday that a security mission be engaged during the referendum process.

This follows a request by the JSB to the New Zealand government to lead the mission, to assist PNG and Bougainville police in maintaining peace and order during the referendum.

It was agreed that 23 police personnel were to be deployed from New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Australia to three main centres - Buka, Arawa and Buin.

The personnel, who will be unarmed, are to be deployed three weeks before the referendum and remain until the completion of the vote count.

PNG's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and Bougainville's President John Momis said the foreign police would provide advice and guidance, rather than frontline policing support.

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