Papua New Guinea Begins Breakaway Talks with Bougainville Leader 

SYDNEY - Formal talks moderated by the United Nations are to begin Monday in the next stage in Bougainville’s efforts to achieve independence from Papua New Guinea. After years of secessionist conflict and a long peace process, an overwhelming majority of Bougainvilleans voted to breakaway in 2019. Bougainville is north-east of Australia.

97.7% of voters in Bougainville chose to break away from Papua New Guinea in a referendum 18-months ago.   The result highlighted deep-rooted support for independence in Bougainville, a chain of islands almost 1,000 kilometers northwest of Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby.  But the result was non-binding and experts have said talks beginning Monday and moderated by the United Nations are a significant step.