One million kina or more than 362 thousand US dollars has been set aside for disarmament and reconciliation this year by the autonomous government of the Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville.
President Joseph Kabui says no one knows how many weapons are left on the island from the decade-long crisis in the 1990s and concedes that more weapons have been smuggled onto the island since the signing of the 2001 peace agreement.
"The AGB has made this year, 2008, the year for reconciliation and weapons disposal. The Government is absolutely determined that we free Bougainville from whatever use of arms because we are fully aware that having weapons around is a threat to peace and prosperity."
