Agreement to End Hostilities on Bougainville

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Country/entity: Papua New Guinea
Bougainville
Region: Asia and Pacific
Agreement name: Agreement to End Hostilities on Bougainville
Date: 1 Mar 1990
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Bougainville Conflict (1987 - 1998)
The conflict on Bougainville, an island under the jurisdiction of Papua New Guinea (PNG), began in 1987 as a dispute over compensation for the use of land by Bougainville Copper Ltd, a an Australian subsidiary. The underlying issue of independence soon emerged and the conflict escalated between the government of PNG and the native islanders, in turn spearheaded by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA). Until fighting ended in 1998, an estimated 20,000 died in the conflict. Several pre-negotiation agreements culminated in an agreement to a ‘permanent and irrevocable’ ceasefire, and a framework for normalizing the PNG-Bourgainville relationship, which included elections.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Bougainville: peace process
Parties: Signed: Samuel KAUONA, Commander, Bougainville Revolutionary Army;
Col Leo NUIA, OBE, Deputy Controller, Bougainville State of Emergency;
Third parties: Witnessed:
John Fidelis SEMOSO;
Description: Short ceasefire agreement with 'cooling off' and reconciliation period

Agreement document: PG_900301_Agreement to End Hostilities on Bougainville.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
Page 1,
The Security Forces of Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) agree to a ceasefire to take affect from 6.00 am on Friday, 2nd March 1990.

Page 1,
... The ceasefire will be followed by the withdrawal of Security Forces from Bougainville and its surrounding Islands starting immediately and ending on 16th March, 6.00pm. At the same time the handing in of arms by the BRA to its North, Southern and Central Command Headquarters will be carried out under the supervision of International Observers to agreed places.

Page 1,
... From the time of this Agreement until the ceasefire takes effect a 'cooling off' and reconciliation period will be observed by both the BRA and the Security Forces.

Page 1,
... Both the withdrawal of the Security Forces and the handing in of arms by the BRA will be subject to the supervision of neutral international observers.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: Security sector→DDR→Demilitarisation provisions
Page 1,
... The ceasefire will be followed by the withdrawal of Security Forces from Bougainville and its surrounding Islands starting immediately and ending on 16th March, 6.00pm. At the same time the handing in of arms by the BRA to its North, Southern and Central Command Headquarters will be carried out under the supervision of International Observers to agreed places.

Page 1,
... Both the withdrawal of the Security Forces and the handing in of arms by the BRA will be subject to the supervision of neutral international observers.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: Page 1,
... Both the withdrawal of the Security Forces and the handing in of arms by the BRA will be subject to the supervision of neutral international observers.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Originally accessed from Conciliation Resources Accord (http://www.c-r.org/accord/papua-new-guinea%E2%80%93bougainville – no longer available from original source). Currently available from UN Peacemaker: https://peacemaker.un.org/png-mirigini-charter94

Agreement to End Hostilities on Bougainville

1 March 1990

The Security Forces of Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) agree to a ceasefire to take affect from 6.00 am on Friday, 2nd March 1990.

The ceasefire will be followed by the withdrawal of Security Forces from Bougainville and its surrounding Islands starting immediately and ending on 16th March, 6.00pm.

At the same time the handing in of arms by the BRA to its North, Southern and Central Command Headquarters will be carried out under the supervision of International Observers to agreed places.

From the time of this Agreement until the ceasefire takes effect a 'cooling off' and reconciliation period will be observed by both the BRA and the Security Forces.

Both the withdrawal of the Security Forces and the handing in of arms by the BRA will be subject to the supervision of neutral international observers.

Both parties pledge their good faith in adhering to this agreement.

May God bless our undertaking.

Dated as of this day, Thursday 1st of March 1990.

Signed:

Samuel KAUONA Commander Bougainville Revolutionary Army

Col Leo NUIA, OBE Deputy Controller Bougainville State of Emergency

Witnessed:

John Fidelis SEMOSO