Sir Micheal Somare

PNG's founding father Sir Michael Somare dies

Sir Michael died in the early hours of this morning after being diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer and admitted to hospital a week ago.

The Grand Chief, as Sir Michael was known, served as prime minister in four separate stints over a period of seventeen years.

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.

He retired from parliament in 2017 after over five decades in politics.