Mekamui Reconciliation
Anthony Kaybing
220714
The mainstream Mekamui faction in North and Central Bougainville came to together on Saturday last week in Buka Town to reconcile after nearly ten years of friction between them.
The friction between the two factions stemmed from an incident where Northern faction strongman Willie Haga was barred from attending the funeral of secessionist leader Francis Ona’s funeral at the infamous Morgan Junction in 2005.
The Central Bougainville faction was in attendence by Mekamui Tribal Government President Philip Miriori along with his delegation and several family members of the late Francis Ona while the Northern faction was represented by MrHaga and several other Northern Mekamui leaders and witnessed by many other Bougainvilleans.
A Representative of the Mekamui Tribal Government and the people of Panguna, Philip Takaung, formally apologized to MrHaga for incident which saw him missing the funeral of his mentor, Francis Ona.
MrTakaung asked for MrHaga’s forgiveness and to see past any misunderstanding between them so that they may now work together to further peace and reconciliation throughout Bougainville.
MrTakaung also extended an invitation to MrHaga to pay his respects to the grave of his mentor at the latter’s Guava village in Panguna.
A significance of the ceremony was that the Mekamui did not demand any help from the government to fund the reconciliation as most Bougainvillean reconciliations are accustomed to but took it upon themselves to fund it.
MrHaga said that despite his former feeling of distrust and being upset at being barred from attending Francis Ona’s funeral he accepted the apology and added that this reconciliation signifies the Mekamui’s intention to foster peace within Bougainville.
He said he bore no ill will towards his peers in Central Bougainville and Panguna and called for peace and unity amongst the people of Bougainville as he said this was the dream of the late secessionist leader, Francis Ona.
Both MrHaga and Takaung agreed that the Mekamui is now ready to work with the ABG in unity and bring peace to Bougainville.
“This reconciliation signifies Bougainville’s unity as it is the every intention of the Mekamui faction to work with the Autonomous Bougainville Government,” MrHaga.
Also in attendance of the ceremony was ABG President Chief Dr John Momis who was wholly impressed with the initiative taken by the Mekamui Tribal Government and its stride to unify Bougainville through peaceful means.
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