Dozens of people killed in gun violence in PNG’S Highlands
The final death toll in the latest outbreak of violence in the region is still unknown. Bodies are removed by the lorryload. The worst incident in recent years raises concerns with the escalation linked to inter-tribal conflict over land and resources, but also a great inflow of firearms.
Port Moresby (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Dozens of people were killed in an ambush in Enga province, Papua New Guinea, over the weekend.
The country’s Highland region has long been the scene of violence, but these killings are believed to be the worst in recent years.
Law enforcement officials report that members of two tribes ambushed those of another tribe shooting people dead.
Initially, 64 deaths were reported, but police later reduced the death toll to 26. But the overall picture is still unclear.
The site of the incident, Enga province, is located in the central highlands, a remote region, where communities have largely maintained traditional tribal divisions.
In the past two years, gun violence and killings between groups have jumped sharply, especially after a large influx of illegal firearms, which made the violence more lethal, fuelling the cycle of violence.
Police are still picking up the bodies at the scene and taking them to nearby town of Wabag, about 600 km northwest of the capital Port Moresby.
"This is by far the largest [killing] I've seen in Enga, maybe in all of [the] Highlands as well," Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Acting Supt George Kakas. "We're all devastated, we're all mentally stressed out. It's really hard to comprehend,” he added.
Videos and pictures are circulating, apparently from the site of the incident, with bodies loaded onto lorries and taken away.
As a result of escalating tribal conflicts in Enga, often over land and wealth, the authorities imposed a three-month curfew last July.
The provincial governor, Peter Ipatas, said there had been signs that fighting was about to break out again before the ambush, with up to 17 tribes involved in this escalation.
“From a provincial perspective, we knew this fight was going to be on,” he explained. Hence, “we [alerted] the security forces last week to make sure they took appropriate action to ensure this didn't occur.”
More broadly, security remains a key concern for the PNG government, especially after violence broke out in the capital on 10 January ending with 22 people killed, at a time when the country risks socio-economic implosion.
Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, also weighed in on the violence in the Highlands, calling the news of the killings "very disturbing”.
Australia has already agreed to expand support and training for PNG police under a security agreement signed last year.
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17/08/2022 11:23
06/10/2021 15:35
