Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare, the founding father of Papua New Guinea, was an influential and visionary leader who played a significant role in shaping the nation.
The Somare family announced his passing in a brief media statement saying Michael Thomas Somare had passed away at 2am today.
In a statement his family announced: “Sir Michael was only diagnosed with a late stage of pancreatic cancer in early February and was admitted to hospital on Friday, 19 February 2021.
“Sadly, pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers that are rarely detected early. We as a family had only two weeks to look for possible treatments.”
“Sir Michael, born on 9 April 1936 in Rabaul, was a pivotal politician leading PNG to independence on 16 September 1975.
“His political career spanned half a century from 1968 until his retirement in 2017. He had been the longest-serving prime minister (17 years and four terms of office).