31.05.2011 The National
Ex-combatant says Koike allegedly lead criminal acts
ONGOING criminal activities in the Konnou constituency of South Bougainville have now spilled into the Kokoda district in Central Bougainville, former commander of Wissai Liberation Movement (WILMO) commander Philip Pusua said. He said criminal activities allegedly led by former combatant Damien Koike had increased to such a degree that civilians “are being forced to pick up arms to protect themselves”. “Koike and his men are using boats to call in at certain locations in the Laluai to Arawa segment of the highway, setting an ambush and patrolling to shoot down former WILMO members,” he said. Pusua challenged the South Bougainville leaders and ABG to take immediate action. He warned if no action was taken, more lives would be lost and the blood of the deceased would be on the hands of leaders. “We, the leaders from Konnou and Wissai, will petition the ABG to engage a neutral force to address the lawlessness in our area,” Pusua said. He said there was no political agenda in the Konnou conflict and the murdering of men, women and children and the confiscating of land by force from the landowners were criminal offences and human right abuses. Pusua said he had revoked resolutions reached by South Bougainville leaders at a peace meeting on May 21 in Buin. He said the meeting endorsed Buin peace team to approach Koike through peaceful negotiation to find a lasting solution for the Konnou conflict. He said he revoked the South Bougainville leaders resolution because: * Buin peace team endorsed by southern leaders was not neutral; * Buin team failed to get Koike from Tonu and repatriate him to his home village at Mohoroi in the Konnou area, instead he alleged team members sent Koike to Wissai by supplying him with equipment for processing gold to buy bullets and weapons to kill landowners on their own land in the Wissai area; * The Buin team had helped Koike buy an outboard motor which enabled him to move around and conduct criminal activities in Bougainville and Solomon Islands.
30.06.2011The National
Fighters agree to bury hatchet with criminals
By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
FORMER Bougainville freedom fighters have agreed to form a peace-seeking committee to meet with notorious criminal Damien Koike and three other armed groups in the Konnou area. In an effort to stop the conflict in the Konnou constituency of South Bougainville, 110 former combatants yesterday met with Bougainville vice-president Patrick Nisira at the Tsiroge Catholic retreat centre in North Bougainville. Led by former Bougainville Revolutionary Army leaders Sam Kauona, Ishmael Toroama and Panguna Me’ekamui hardliner John Duni, they resolved to meet with Koike and leaders of the three other armed groups in the Konnou area. The committee will focus on establishing a peaceful settlement with Koike and his band of criminals who are alleged to have killed more than 50 civilians, including women and children, since 2006. They will meet with members of the Wissai Liberation Movement, who are alleged to have retaliated by killing Koike’s men, including the outlaw’s spiritual leader, Andrew Manden. Last week, Wilmo leaders, fed up with the killings allegedly by Koike, retaliated and killed five of Koike’s men, including Manden. The peace-keeping committee is expected to leave for Konnou and Sininai as soon as the ABG provides funding. Toroama said the re-occurrence of the Konnou conflict was a direct result of the former commander’s refusal to take part in the implementation of the weapons disposal plan which was brokered by the United Nations observer mission on Bougainville in 2005. “We in the BRA implemented the United Nations-sponsored weapons disposal exercise without the help of Me’ekamui and now all of us have to get back there and stop what they are doing, without of course the use of the gun,” Toroama said. The ex-commanders rallied support for the Autonomous Bougainville Government and restated their commitment for total peace, stability and support for economic recovery in the region. Nisira stressed the need for a united Bougainville in order to ensure a referendum for independence was held. “The situation in Konnou, Tonu and Sininai must be addressed in order for unification, peace and stability to find its roots in the hearts and minds of our people,” he said. “This is our land, our community and we must do everything possible to protect it. “This is what we stood for in the beginning and we should continue to stand for it today,” Nisira said.
9.04.2011 Post-Courier
Group wary of rebel threat
THE Autonomous Bougainville Government has been given a petition by a group of fighters providing defence to the Me’ekamui Defence Force criminal elements in south Bougainville. The petition, by the Moongai Homeguards, a self-appointed group, claim they got permission and approval from the Bougainville Police to take up arms just to defend or protect their community and their population in the Konnou Constituency, from being harmed by Me’ekamui Defence Force elements like Damien Koike and his lot. Mr Koike is asking for the group with others to be dismantled, but the Homeguards refused their demands and instead have presented this petition to the ABG with the aim of solving the problem. The petition, signed by about 25 chiefs, freedom fighters and Moongai Homeguards, detailed that they seriously needed help from the ABG and the United Nations to intervene to sort the issue. They have warned that since the MDF were refusing to co-operate and reconcile - and failing the process, they would take another step of asking for a special armed force unit or a RAMSI type United Nations peace keeping force. “Please president John Momis, you must take this delicate situation very seriously as your number one priority for your government’s immediate action to neutralise the critical and very dangerous situation before more blood is shed and lives are lost. We appeal that you give us a positive response to this very critical and dangerous situation,” the team wrote in the petition to Mr Momis.
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