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District Peace & Security Committee Forum

A forum for the District Peace and Security Committee was held today in Buka to discuss management of peace and reconciliation activities within the post-referendum period. 

The forum brought together committee members from North, Central and South Bougainville to discuss strategies for effective management of outstanding peace and reconciliation activities across Bougainville.

These activities include unreconciled inter-district and intra-district cases, PNG Security Forces cases, including discussions on the planned National Reconciliation between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea.

ABG Minister for Post-Referendum and Attorney General, Hon. Ezekiel Masatt, in his remarks when opening the forum, said that all Bougainvilleans must commit to the process and strive to practice political independence.

“All individuals must make a personal commitment to the process and contribute in your own way,” he said.

Minister Masatt further stated that while Bougainville prepares for political independence, we must also work towards economic independence; however one cannot be sacrificed for the other.

He encouraged all participants to unite in Bougainville’s journey and appealed to all to put aside any differences and work together with the Constituency and Community Government leaders.

The forum was facilitated by the ABG Department of Post Referendum Consultation & Dialogue, in collaboration with the Department of Community Government and Bougainville Partnership.

The forum agreed to a number of resolutions including calls to the new government to commit more resources into the peace and reconciliation activities that are still outstanding. The forum also raised the need to develop a War Compensation Act and Veterans Act to ensure a proper legal framework is in place to resolve these important outstanding issues. 

The District Peace and Security Committee is a peace building stakeholder endorsed by the Bougainville Executive Council and based in the districts across Bougainville. The DPSC is the ABG's leading implementor of peace mediation and reconciliation at the district levels. 

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