Pacific

Commonweath Secretary-General to visit Bougainville arms disposal

10:25 am on 27 May 2004

It's reported the Commonwealth Secretary-General is due to tour the island of Bougainville today.

Former New Zealand foreign minister Don McKinnon is to look at the progress of weapons disposal programmes and observe efforts to maintain peace there, reports Australian Associated Press.

Last month a series of exercises were held near the "no-go zone" around the Panguna mine, including one in which the Bougainville Resistance Army destroyed 91 weapons.