Sandline International

Sandline was seen as a saviour to the Julius Chan and Chris Haiveta led PNG government. The crisis on Bougainvile had dragged on and on and an end was not in sight. The PNG government of Sir Julius Chan signed a $46 million contract with Sandline International to provide mercenaries and sophisticated military equipment to spearhead a military operation against separatists on the island of Bougainville.

Copy of contract - released in Post-Courier and Independent on the 22nd of March 1997.

It has been rumoured that the then commander of the PNG Defence Force, Brig.Gen Jerry Singirok, had negotiated a $21 million deal with the German government.

Sandline International is a Private Military Company (PMC) which specialises in problem resolution and the provision of associated consulting services.

The business was established in the early 1990s to fill a vacuum in the post cold war era. Our purpose is to offer governments and other legitimate organisations specialist military expertise at a time when western national desire to provide active support to friendly governments, and to support them in conflict resolution, has materially decreased, as has their capability to do so.

Sandline is a privately owned and independent business. It is incorporated in the Bahamas and maintains representative offices in London, England and Washington, DC in the United States.

Quote from -- http://www.stuff.co.nz/4511229a12.html -- Eleven years on the PM at the time (Sir Julius Chan) says he is not sorry for the sandline affair.

Chan was forced to step down as prime minister in March 1997 after then PNG Defence Force commander Jerry Singirok led military and public opposition to the use of Sandline International mercenaries.