The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Ministry of Education, through its Department of Education in collaboration with other relevant ABG departments and agencies, is working diligently to ensure the safety and well-being of all Bougainvillea students studying at the University of Goroka (UoG) in light of the ongoing security situation.

The ABG Department of Education is coordinating all response efforts by the Autonomous Bougainville Government to oversee all actions relating to the safety, support, evacuation, and repatriation of our students.

The ABG now provides the following operational update on the repatriation exercise:

• The ABG Department of Education will commence the repatriation of 97 Bougainvillean students studying at the University of Goroka.

• The repatriation exercise will be conducted over a one-week period which began over the weekend.

• The repatriation is being led by the Ministry of Education through the Department of Education, working in close collaboration with other ABG departments and agencies. This includes ongoing engagements with the President of the Bougainville Students Association and university representatives to ensure that all necessary support is provided throughout the process.

• The Department of Education has secured timely support from the government to meet the immediate needs of students while arrangements for transport and safety are being implemented.

• The ABG reiterates that the safety and well-being of all Bougainvillean students remain paramount throughout this operation.

“We want to assure parents, families, and the wider Bougainville community that the ABG is taking all necessary steps to bring our students home safely,” ABG Minister for Education Robin Wilson said.