SECRETARY-GENERAL MOURNS DEATH OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA’S PRESIDENT JOSEPH KABUI The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
The Secretary-General mourns the passing of President Joseph Kabui, the first President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government, Papua New Guinea. President Kabui was known as a skilled mediator and peacemaker who had a genuine interest in the future of his people. He played a crucial role in bringing peace to Bougainville, following the years of conflict, achieving autonomy for the province in 2005. The late President Kabui enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the United Nations, through the peace negotiations and the years of the UN Observer Mission to Bougainville and the Political Office that followed. The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the family of President Kabui and to the people of the province of Bougainville.
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For information media • not an official record
