Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Danilo Turk, told the Security Council on March 30, 2003, that the, “UNPOB is looking to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other United Nations agencies to take the lead in promoting activities on the island that could facilitate the reintegration and rehabilitation of former combatants and, more generally, the restoration of community services and infrastructure. The UNDP programme in Bougainville is in a transition phase, and UNPOB is holding consultations with the UNDP aimed at ensuring that its valuable contribution to post-conflict peace-building, including the improvement of governance on the island, is sustained.”¹ Reintegration remained one of the most important issues in 2003.

Reintegration remained an important issue. On November 28, 2002, Kieran Prendergast, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, told the Security Council that progress in the Bougainville, Papua New Guinea peace process, had experienced some setbacks since last August. He said that the “reconciliation and the integration of ex-combatants remained the absolute priorities to ensure long-term peace, and the early reintegration of former combatants and their engagement in gainful employment should, therefore, be addressed urgently.”²

“The Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) Command’s implementation in late 2001 and early 2002 focused on taking ex-combatant leaders on an island-wide awareness roadshow, to encourage ex-combatants to give up their guns. This left little scope for engaging with grassroots concerns about eradicating or reducing the gun culture and getting the fighting men back into the community fold.”³ According to Skark and Bailey (2005: 602-3), there was no or little consideration of the social, economic, or political implications of disarmament for the ex-combatants and their dependents.

“The people of Rotokas in the Wakunai District of Central Bougainville have taken the lead in disposing of their firearms. As part of their effort in the Bougainville peace process, ex-combatants in the mountainous region on Wednesday handed in three firearms to the Autonomous Bougainville Government Minister for Peace, Reconciliation and Weapons Disposal and MP for Hagogohe Robert Hama Sawa and his ministry co-ordinator George Manu at Ruruvu.”⁴

A Peace, Reconciliation and Weapons Disposal Ministry was created within the Autonomous Bougainville Government. Robert Hamal Sawa was appointed to the position.⁵

The government recognizes, “[s]mall firearms control and weapons disposal” as an outstanding issue, and names 2008 as, “the year of Reconciliation and Weapons Disposal.”⁶

Disarmament of former combatants was only partially successful as Francis Ona and his MeÕekamui Defence Force (MDF) did not participate in the peace process. The issue of light arms remained.

Disarmament of former combatants was only partially successful as Francis Ona and his MeÕekamui Defence Force (MDF) did not participate in the peace process. The issue of light arms remained.

“As of mid-2005 weapons disposal had achieved ‘significant compliance according to the UN, but was still incomplete. About 5 per cent of the weapons at Stage II were not yet destroyed, and some weapons never even made it to Stage I.”⁷

However, the disarmament process was largely successful. On May 19, 2005, “UNOMB informed the parties to the Bougainville Peace Agreement that the weapons disposal plan incorporated into the Agreement had been implemented. Of a total 2,016 weapons kept in containers, 1,896 were destroyed. UNOMB collected and destroyed an additional 155 weapons, bringing the total to 2,051 weapons. It is therefore determined that the parties had substantially complied with the implementation of the plan, paving the way for the holding of elections.”⁸ Having deemed their mandate complete, UNOMB left Bougainville.

Stage III was carried out. Most weapons were destroyed.