WELLINGTON — Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama condemned an attack on a mining camp at Panguna and said his government would press ahead with plans to reopen the long-shuttered copper mine despite opposition from some groups, Reuters reported.
Personnel were assaulted and equipment destroyed at the camp, Toroama’s office said late Sunday, without detailing injuries or identifying those responsible. AFP reported that saboteurs torched heavy machinery belonging to Indian company Lloyds Metals and Energy, which is leading restart efforts.
Panguna, once among the world’s biggest open-pit copper operations, has been closed for nearly three decades after conflict devastated the autonomous Papua New Guinea region. Reopening is central to Bougainville’s push for economic strength as it pursues independence.
“The government and people of Bougainville will not be intimidated by individuals or factions seeking to undermine our efforts to redevelop the Panguna Mine,” Toroama said. Landowner consent, environmental safeguards, and benefit-sharing remain contested.
Sources: Reuters, AFP via France 24
—
