Unity crucial: Toroama

THE Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) continues to make headway in unifying Bougainville as it prepares for consultations with the National Government.
President Ishmael Toroama, on Friday, met with U-Vistract leader Noah Musingku to witness a reconciliation ceremony between Police Minister Thomas Tari and the faction at Tonu, Siwai.
The reconciliation stems from an assault on Tonu in 2006, that resulted in several deaths and injuries and caused a rift between the ABG and U-Vistract.
Toroama said the reconciliation was the first step in unifying Bougainville and bringing the faction in line with the ABG.
The reconciliation saw customary obligations fulfilled by both sides to signify the end of hostilities between the ABG and the U-Vistract faction led by Musingku.
Toroama was firm in his resolve that the ABG was the only legitimate government on Bougainville and was committed to seeing the peace process to its fulfilment.
He said Bougainville was undergoing a spiritual and socioeconomic and political transformation and the U-Vistract faction were encouraged to embrace it as Bougainville prepared for independence.
Toroama urged Musingku and his faction to unite with the rest of the region. He said the National Government would embrace the Bougainville process if the people united and worked together.
Toroama thanked the faction and the communities in the area for co-operating with the ABG.
Initially, there had been much apprehension over Toroama’s visit to Tonu.
The ABG, however, maintained its decision did not recognise the U-Vistract faction as a separate government on Bougainville.
ABG sees U-Vistract as an important stakeholder in the peace process.