Indonesian security forces recovered the body of American pilot Nicholas F. Goselin on Friday after armed separatists attacked and burned his aircraft in the Papua Highlands. Goselin, a pilot for PT AMA, was shot dead Thursday at the Ipdeheik airstrip in Balinggama village, according to Brig. Gen. Riyanto, deputy commander of the operation.
Why was the American pilot killed in Papua?
The West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, claimed responsibility for the attack in a video showing rebels with guns and axes raising the Morning Star flag. Rebel spokesman Sebby Sambom stated the aircraft was targeted for violating a ban on civilian flights in separatist operational zones.
Sambom alleged that civilian aircraft are used to transport Indonesian military logistics and personnel into the remote interior. He stated Goselin was killed because the aircraft continued to operate despite warnings. However, the Indonesian military denied these claims, stating the seven passengers on board were indigenous Papuan civilians, including three women, all of whom remained unharmed.
How does this fit into the Papua conflict?
This attack is part of a decades-old insurgency between indigenous Papuans and Indonesian forces. The conflict stems from 1969, when Papua, a former Dutch colony, was incorporated into Indonesia via a UN-sponsored ballot that many viewed as a sham. Insurgency has spiked over the last year, resulting in dozens of deaths among rebels, civilians, and security forces.
Foreign pilots have become specific targets in this escalation. This incident follows two other cases involving New Zealand nationals:
- August 2024: TPNPB gunmen killed New Zealand pilot Glen Malcolm Conning of PT Intan Angkasa Air Service after he landed in the Mimika district.
- February 2023: Egianus Kogoya, a regional commander in the Free Papua Movement, abducted New Zealand pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens of Susi Air; he was freed in September 2024.
What may happen next in the region?
The TPNPB has warned it may target other civilian aircraft it believes are assisting military operations in the region. Sebby Sambom has called on President Prabowo Subianto to open international negotiations to resolve the 64-year conflict.
A possible next step could involve the United Nations, as Sambom urged the organization to facilitate talks between the Indonesian government, the TPNPB, and Papuan representatives. The U.S. Embassy has not yet commented on the death of Goselin, whose remains are being transferred to the U.S. Embassy.
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