The stunning island that’s set to become the world’s newest country in 2027

It is not every day that the prospect of a materialises. The last to be born was in July 2011, when it gained independence from Sudan. Montenegro, meanwhile, gained independence in 2006. 

Yet the world could be set to welcome a new country in as little as two years, as a small island has held a referendum, resulting in an almost 100% vote in favour of independence. Bougainville, officially the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, is an autonomous in . Deep in the , Bougainville is about the size of Hawaii’s main island and home to an estimated 300,000 people. 

Bougainville Island is the largest island, but the region also includes Buka Island and several distant islands and atolls. Geographically, the islands of Bougainville and Buka form part of the archipelago, but in reality they are politically separate from the independent country of Solomon Islands.

Separatism and the fight for independence in Bougainville has existed since the 1960s. The unrecognised state of the Republic of the North Solomons – which existed for only around six months – was declared shortly before the independence of Papua New Guinea from in 1975. It was absorbed into Papua New Guinea the following year. 

Conflict over the Panguna mine – a large copper mine representing one of the largest reserves in the world – became the primary trigger for the Bougainville Civil War which took place between 1988 and 1998. 

This bloody conflict claimed the lives of some 15,000 to 20,000 civilians and was described by Bougainvillean President John Momis as the largest conflict in Oceania since the end of World War Two. 

A peace agreement between the government of Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), a guerrilla movement, resulted in the creation of the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

Fast-forward to the 21st century and the fight for independence again raised its head in 2019. An was held, and an incredible 98.3% voted in favour of independence rather than continued autonomy with Papua New Guinea. As a result, the regional authorities intend to become independent between 2025 and 2027, pending ratification by the Papua New Guinean government (PNG).

However, the referendum was non-binding. Ishmael Toroama, a former rebel leader, was elected president of Bougainville in September 2020 and negotiations began between the two in May 2021. While Toroama stated a desire to see Bougainville become independent by June 2025, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, James Marape, cautioned against setting a specific timetable.

In July 2021, it was announced that Bougainville would become independent by the end of 2027 pending approval of the PNG parliament. However, the ratification, which was expected to happen in 2023, has still not occurred. 

“Bougainville is for independence,” President Toroama told in January. “It is only a matter of time.”

“That is the aspiration of the people and that is why they voted [for] me as their president.”

A draft constitution for a “Republic of Bougainville” was published by the Autonomous Bougainville Government in May last year.