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Bougainville Revives Panguna Mine to Fund Independence Drive

By Drooid · Oct 13, 2026, 10:39 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

President Ishmael Toroama pledged that Bougainville will govern itself by next year.
The Panguna copper-gold mine closed four decades ago after residents sabotaged it over a 2 % wealth share.
The shutdown triggered a civil war that killed up to 15,000 people and displaced a generation.
The dormant mine is being revived to fund Bougainville’s independence push and meet rising copper demand.

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Story summary

President Ishmael Toroama pledged that Bougainville will govern itself by next year.
The Panguna copper-gold mine closed four decades ago after residents sabotaged it over a 2 % wealth share.
The shutdown triggered a civil war that killed up to 15,000 people and displaced a generation.
The dormant mine is being revived to fund Bougainville’s independence push and meet rising copper demand.