Bougainville's President has firmly rejected a claim that an Australian company, Caballus Mining, will operate the Panguna mine.
Ishmael Toroama has released a statement in response to a landowner group, Panguna Tangkuúrang Chiefs, claiming that they'd given approval for Caballus.
The company had been in talks with the Autonomous Bougainville Government under former president John Momis regarding the potential re-opening of the large copper and gold mine.
But Toroama has made a clear departure from any links with the company.
Our senior reporter Johnny Blades has been following events and joins me now.
Kia ora Johnny so what prompted this response from president Toroama.
The Panguna copper and gold mine in Bougainville was closed down for operations in 1989 at the start of the civil war. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
