| Egianus Kogoya | |
| Birth Place: | , Jayawijaya Regency, Papua, Indonesia |
| Allegiance: | Free Papua Movement |
| Serviceyears: | 2017-present |
| Battles: | Papua conflict |
Egianus Kogoya (born 1999) is a military commander of Free Papua Movement (OPM).
Egianus was born in Mugi District in 1999.[1] He is the son of TPNPB-OPM member, Silas Elimin Kogoya[2] or Daniel Yudas Kogoya,[3] who participated in Mapenduma hostage crisis. He studied his primary education in Mugi and later dropped out. After finishing his primary education, he went to Wamena in 2011 to continue high school. During high school, he was known for refusing to sing Indonesia Raya and saluting the flag during the morning flag ceremony. His behavior received attention from the school teachers, and he was often reprimanded and got punishment by them.[4]
Egianus was appointed as the Commander of Ndugama III Command on 16 October 2018.[5] Egianus claimed that the group received weapons and ammunition from TNI soldiers and police officers.[6]
His first known attack was in December 2017, when his commanded group killed Yovicko Sondakh, a Trans Papua road worker in Mugi District. In 2018, Kogoya was responsible for the Kenyam Airport shooting, abducting the teachers and medical personnel in and Nduga massacre.[7]
In February 2022, Egianus announced that his group underwent restructuring and expanded the area of operation to Intan Jaya Regency.[8] Aftermath of the OPM attack at the Marine Post in Kenyam on 26 March 2022, Indonesia wanted to have negotiation with Egianus Kogoya. Egianus, however, refused the dialog offer.[9] He claimed responsibility for the killing of 11 people in Nogolait, who he accused as spies.[10] On 16 August 2022, he issued a statement to Nduga Regional Government and TNI imploring them not to enter and develop since it was OPM base.[11]
On 7 February 2023, he ordered his group to attack a plane in Paro and kidnap the pilot, Philip Mehrtens and the Indonesian passengers (Demanus Gwijangge, Minda Gwijangge, Pelenus Gwijangge, Meita Gwijangge and an infant, Wetina W), with the purpose of freeing Papua.[12] [13] He later released a video on May 2023 and threatened to execute the pilot if Indonesia still refuses to negotiate and demanded Indonesia and New Zealand to have a dialog on Papua independence.[14]
Egianus threatened to assassinate Edison Gwijangge, the acting regent of Nduga for visiting certain districts in Nduga by plane on 4 October.[15] On 16 October, Egianus's faction and Elkius Kobak's faction killed seven miners and burned three excavators, two trucks, and miner camps in, Yahukimo on 16 October.[16]