Papua New Guineans are mourning the loss of the man who was the central figure in the country's passage to independence.
Radio NZ reports Sir Michael Somare died early this morning in Port Moresby after being diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer and admitted to hospital a week ago.
Described as the nation's anchor and a father figure to Papua New Guineans, Sir Michael's passing at the age of 84 signals the end of an era not just for PNG but also the Pacific Islands.
As Chief Minister of the former Australian territory, Sir Michael helped usher PNG to independence in 1975, becoming its first prime minister later that year.
The "Grand Chief", as Sir Michael is known, served as prime minister in four separate stints lasting 17 years in total.
He was widely loved by people around the country, and a master politician who perfected the art of consensus building in a national political setting known for its volatility.
Born in 1936 in Rabaul, Somare grew up in East Sepik where he was educated at a village school established during Japanese occupation in World War 2.
Before politics, he worked as a teacher, journalist and broadcaster, and was one of a pioneering generation of young Papua New Guineans training for positions as senior public servants in the 1960s.
[Source: RNZ]
