Papua New Guinea's mutiny leader arrested

01/29/12: Reuters reports that an army officer who led a military revolt aimed at reinstating Papua New Guinea's ousted prime minister appeared in court on Sunday on mutiny charges, police said. Retired Colonel Yaura Sasa, who led last week's attempt to restore Sir Michael Somare to power, appeared in a court charged under the criminal code with incitement to mutiny following his arrest overnight. Police spotted Sasa by chance at a lodge away from the Taurama barracks, where his supporters have been holed up with weapons since last week's failed mutiny, police media spokesman Superintendant Dominic Kakas said.

01/27/12: The BBC reports that a group of soldiers who staged a failed mutiny in Papua New Guinea on Thursday are demanding a full pardon. Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said that the attempt in Port Moresby was ''a desperate act''. The group of up to 20 soldiers demanded the reinstatement of ousted Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare. The incident related to the conflict between Mr O'Neill and Sir Michael, who both claim the role of prime minister.

01/26/12: The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Prime Minister Peter O'Neill refused to step down despite a mutiny Thursday by soldiers who seized Papua New Guinea's military headquarters and demanded that he cede power to his ousted predecessor. Soldiers led by retired Colonel Yuara Sasa put the country's top commander under house arrest in a bloodless, pre-dawn takeover — part of the power struggle in which both O'Neill and former Prime Minister Michael Somare claim to be the rightful leader of the South Pacific island nation.

Thread: Papua New Guinea Coup