Bougainville President Kabui dies

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea, June 9 (UPI) -- Joseph Kabui, the president of Papua New Guinea's autonomous region of Bougainville, has died of an apparent heart attack, officials said.

Kabui, believed to be 54, fell ill and died Saturday in the provincial capital, Buka, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday.

Kabui was elected president of Bougainville handily in 2005, though his popularity diminished afterward as a result of his decisions regarding foreign investment on the Pacific island.

Dr. Puka Temu, Papua New Guinea's deputy prime minister, said the country has lost a great leader, and a state funeral will be held Tuesday.

"The state in recognition of the key role that he had played in the Bougainville becoming an autonomous region will accord him a state funeral here in Port Moresby," he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith noted Kabui played a key role in restoring peace after the bitter conflict on the island from 1989 to 1997 while laying a sound foundation for the region's future.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed through a spokesperson his sadness Monday at hearing of Kabui's death.

"President Kabui was known as a skilled mediator and peacemaker who had a genuine interest in the future of his people," Ban's spokesperson said in a statement.