Sep 26, 2025
Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA)
The BRA fought a secessionist war against Papua New Guinea. Two causes of the struggle were Bougainville being historically and ethnically linked to the Solomon islands. The secondary cause was the Panguna copper mine which was owned by the Australian Rio Tinto corporation.
Bougainvilleans received less than 2% of the mine's profits, and pollution devastated the local ecosystem. The ensuing conflict resulted in the deaths of up to 20,000 people.
Bougainville is scheduled to become an independent country around 2027.
