Ishmael Toroama (born 28 February 1969) is a Bougainvillean politician who was elected President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

. He is a former commander in the Bougainville Revolutionary Army.

Early life

Toroama was born in Roreinang in the

Kieta District Kieta is a port town located on the eastern coast of the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, near the township of Arawa. After extensive destruction during the 1990 Civil Uprising on Bougainville, Kieta has few inhabitants now, and is kno ...

in Central Bougainville and educated at the local school and at Hutjena High School. After dropping out of school, he worked for the Tonolei Development Corporation.

Civil war and aftermath

Toroama joined the Bougainville Revolutionary Army in the early days of the Bougainville Civil War and quickly became one of its field commanders. In 1997 he was injured by a rocket-propelled grenade. In 1999 he became the BRA's chief of defence, succeeding

Sam Kauona Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional ...

. As chief of defence, he was one of the signatories of the Bougainville Peace Agreement and opposed the breakaway faction under Francis Ona. Following the conflict, he enriched himself by becoming a broker in the reconciliation process, then providing "protection" to local businesses. He later became a

cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...

farmer.

Political career

Toroama repeatedly ran unsuccessfully for office following the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the establishment of the Autonomous Bougainville Government. In the

2010 Bougainvillean general election Presidential and parliamentary elections were held in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea from 6 to 21 May 2010. Presidential election The incumbent, James Tanis, lost to the long-time politician John Momis John Momis (b ...

he ran unsuccessfully for the seat of South Nasioi, and in the

2012 Papua New Guinean general election General elections were held in Papua New Guinea from 23 June until around 13 July 2012, after being postponed by a further week to allow for security personnel to criss-cross the country, particularly the highland provinces. The elections followe ...

he failed to win the seat of Central Bougainville. In the

2015 Bougainvillean general election The 2015 presidential and parliamentary election was held in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville between 11 May and 25 May 2015. A total of 342 candidates contested the election, involving the 33 constituency seats, three seats reserved for wome ...

he ran for President, coming second to

John Momis John Momis (born 3 March 1942) is a Bougainvillean politician who served as the President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea between 2010 and 2020. Momis served as a Catholic priest from 1970 until 1993, becoming active ...

. In December 2019 he announced his intention to stand for president in the

2020 Bougainvillean general election The 2020 presidential and parliamentary election was held in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville between 12 August and 1 September 2020. 440 candidates were contesting the 40 seats in the Bougainville House of Representatives, including 25 co ...

. He subsequently launched the

Bougainville People’s Alliance Party The Bougainville People's Alliance Party (BPAP) is a Bougainvillean political party founded by Ishmael Toroama Ishmael Toroama (born 28 February 1969) is a Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Bougainvillean politician who was elected President ...

to contest the

Bougainville House of Representatives The Bougainville House of Representatives is the legislature of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, an autonomous entity within Papua New Guinea. It was established in 2005 under Part 5 of the region's constitution, which specifies that the Ho ...

. He performed well in the election, leading the count at the 21st elimination, and ultimately winning the presidency. He was formally sworn in as president on 25 September 2020. He appointed his Cabinet on 2 October 2020.

Personal life

Ishmael Toroama is married to Betty Toroama, with whom he has 3 children: Doreen, Esau, and Victor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toroama, Ishmael Bougainvillean politicians Living people 1969 births Presidents of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville People from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville Bougainvillean rebels 21st-century Papua New Guinean politicians