A CEREMONY will be held on Bougainville tomorrow to mark the withdrawal of peacekeepers, including Australians, from the troubled Papua New Guinea island.
The ceremony will also mark the establishment of a civilian peace monitoring team to replace the Australian-led Peace Monitoring Group operating on the war-ravaged island.
Bougainville was the scene of a bloody nine-year war for independence sparked by years of alleged environmental damage by the Panguna copper mine, operated by then Australian mining giant CRA.
The war - with the PNG Defence Force and police - as well as an internal civil war led to a declaration of independence by guerrilla leader Francis Ona in 1993.
Both the war and related starvation and disease led to the deaths of up to 20,000 people, included babies and small children, mothers dying in childbirth and stillbirths.
Australia says the new transition team will continue the weapons disposal program which has to be completed before Bougainvilleans are offered a referendum on autonomy.
Defence chief Major-General Peter Cosgrove and Defence Minister Robert Hill will be among VIPs flown to Bougainville by two RAAF Hercules transporters, before being driven to the flag-lowering ceremony at Independence Park in Arawa.
The peacekeeping base in Arawa is located amid the burnt-out remains of Panguna's copper processing plant, destroyed during the war.
Major-General Cosgrove is expected to commend the efforts of the peacekeepers - from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu - who have had to operate in a volatile environment without firearms.
The decision to establish a civilian transition team followed fears the complete withdrawal of international personnel from Bougainville could allow tensions to resurface in the impoverished province.
The Bougainville Peace Agreement includes provisions for weapons disposal, autonomy and a referendum on the island's future.
Since the Bougainville Peace Agreement was signed in August 2001, close to 1900 weapons have been contained.
The withdrawal of peacekeepers comes as Australia and New Zealand consider deploying troops and police to try and restore law and order in the Solomon Islands, which shares a border with Bougainville.
Foreign ministers from Pacific countries will meet tomorrow with Australia and New Zealand seeking broad support for their plan to send troops.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff today said his country will commit 200 troops and more police to the Solomons.
Australia has pledged a force of up to 2000 police, soldiers and support staff to restore law and order in the Solomons, while Papua New Guinea and Fiji are also expected to contribute.
Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia hoped to deploy about 1500 troops and 150 police to the Solomons by August.
Papua New Guinea has promised to help Australia restore law and order in the Solomon Islands, but warned the military and police action could take longer than the Australian government hopes.
Prime Minister John Howard said preliminary indications were that the security operation would take "a small number of months".
But PNG's Foreign Minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu said that estimate may be optimistic.
AAP
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