Sebby Sambom

Sebby Sambom was an American pilot who was recently killed in Indonesia's restive easternmost region of Papua. Armed separatist rebels attacked and shot him dead, subsequently setting his civilian plane on fire. A spokesperson for the separatist group stated the attack was intended as a 'message' to the US and Indonesian governments. The conflict in Papua, a resource-rich western half of the island, has long involved a low-level battle for independence from Indonesia, with attacks by independence fighters occurring periodically. Indonesian security forces later recovered Sambom's body. His death and the circumstances surrounding it highlight the ongoing, violent separatist conflict in Papua and its international implications.