Jimmy Stevens

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Jimmy Stevens, known as "Moses" (born 1910s or 1920s – died 28 February 1994, Espiritu Santo), was a Ni-Vanuatu nationalist and politician. As leader of the conservative Nagriamel movement, he declared the independence of Espiritu Santo island as the "State of Vemerana" in June 1980 and referred to himself as "prime minister". After the Republic of Vanuatu was granted independence in July, Prime Minister Walter Lini deployed Papua New Guinean troops and the revolt was crushed in August. Stevens and Nagriamel received USD $250,000 from the American-based Phoenix Foundation, a libertarian group that previously attempted to establish an independent tax-haven state in Abaco Island, The Bahamas in 1973.

Stevens was of part-European, part-Melanesian, and part-Polynesian descent. He reportedly had 23 wives and fathered four dozen children.

[edit] Sources

• Obituary. The Times 7 Mar. 1994.
• Theroux, Paul. The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific. New York: Ballantine Books, 1992. (ISBN 0-449-90858-5)