The Panguna copper and gold mine in Bougainville was closed down for operations in 1989 at the start of the civil war. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
The government in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville wants to ensure landowners at Panguna agree and reconcile before the area is opened to development.
There has been an agreement in principle reached by the Bougainville Government and landowners for a re-opening of the Panguna Mine, but the chief secretary Shadrach Himata said the ABG wants to ensure the landowners around the mine are properly reconciled.
At the weekend the Bougainville council of churches led a dawn service at the Panguna mine pit and later a Catholic mass were held in the adjacent village of Gwava, to help foster reconciliation.
The Guava reconciliation was being implemented under the Panguna mine dialogue strategy - a homegrown initiative developed by local leaders and endorsed by the Bougainville Executive Council to resolve 63 outstanding cases.
Following the reconciliations, President Ishmael Toroama was expected to visit Guava village and the grave of revolutionary leader Francis Ona this week.
Toroama, who was the Bougainville Revolutionary Army's commander, would also formally revoke the BRA's standing orders of 1990 to signify the cessation of all hostilities of the BRA on Bougainville.
