Ishmael Toroama

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Ishmael Toroama
President of Bougainville
Assumed office
25 September 2020
Vice PresidentPatrick Nisira
Preceded byJohn Momis
Personal details
Born (1969-02-28) 28 February 1969 (age 52)
, Bougainville
Political party
Spouse(s)Betty Toroama
Children3

Ishmael Toroama (born 28 February 1969)[1] is a Bougainvillean politician who was elected President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in 2020.[2] He is a former commander in the Bougainville Revolutionary Army.

Early life[]

Toroama was born in in the Kieta District in Central Bougainville and educated at the local school and at .[1] After dropping out of school, he worked for the Tonolei Development Corporation.[1]

Civil war and aftermath[]

Toroama joined the Bougainville Revolutionary Army in the early days of the Bougainville Civil War and quickly became one of its field commanders.[3] In 1997 he was injured by a rocket-propelled grenade.[4] In 1999 he became the BRA's chief of defence, succeeding .[3] As chief of defence, he was one of the signatories of the Bougainville Peace Agreement and opposed the breakaway faction under Francis Ona.[3] Following the conflict, he enriched himself by becoming a broker in the reconciliation process, then providing "protection" to local businesses.[3][4] He later became a cocoa farmer.[5]

Political career[]

Toroama repeatedly ran unsuccessfully for office following the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the establishment of the Autonomous Bougainville Government. In the 2010 Bougainvillean general election he ran unsuccessfully for the seat of South Nasioi, and in the 2012 Papua New Guinean general election he failed to win the seat of Central Bougainville.[3] In the 2015 Bougainvillean general election he ran for President, coming second to John Momis.[6]

In December 2019 he announced his intention to stand for president in the 2020 Bougainvillean general election.[7] He subsequently launched the to contest the Bougainville House of Representatives.[8] He performed well in the election, leading the count at the 21st elimination,[9] and ultimately winning the presidency.[2][10][11] He was formally sworn in as president on 25 September 2020.[12] He appointed his Cabinet on 2 October 2020.[13]

Personal life[]

Ishmael Toroama is married to Betty Toroama, with whom he has 3 children: Doreen, Esau, and Victor.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Bougainville Declares New President Today". PNG Post-Courier. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Ishmael Toroama president-elect of Bougainville". RNZ. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Starygin, Stan (April 2013). "The Gangs of Bougainville: Seven Men, Guns and a Copper Mine" (PDF). Journal of Conflict Transformation & Security: 58–61. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Keith Jackson (22 September 2020). "Ishmael Toroama – rebel, peace-maker, farmer, leader". PNG Attitude. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Ishmael spends more time on cocoa farming". 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  6. ^ "John Momis re-elected as Bougainville president, securing more than 50pc of votes". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Toroama makes known intention to stand for presidency". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Prominent Bougainvilleans make moves towards elections". Fiji Times. 20 June 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Former BRA man consolidates Bougainville presidency lead". RNZ. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  10. ^ Leanne Jorari and Ben Doherty (23 September 2020). "Bougainville independence high on agenda as Ishmael Toroama elected president". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Former Rebel Leader Is Elected President of Bougainville". New York Times. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Bougainville's Toroama sworn in as President". RNZ. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Bougainville's Toroama forms a 14 member Cabinet". RNZ. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  14. ^ Zarriga, Miriam (24 September 2020). "Missionary's son Ishmael elected President". The National. Retrieved 18 November 2020.


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