Papua New Guinea: A fresh outbreak of tribal violence in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea has killed dozens of men, according to the police. Enga Provincial Police Commander George Kakas said that they were killed in a serious gunfire. According to him, people from two tribes ambushed and killed another group.
The police commander has stated that, “Some dead bodies are still in the bushes and yet to be retrieved by neighbouring tribes. The situation is still tense but the highway is clear for travelling public.” Authorities initially reported that, at least 53 people had been killed in the ambush, later miscalculating and saying 26 were killed.
Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has commented that, “That is very disturbing the news that has come out of Papua New Guinea. We’re providing considerable support, particularly for training police officers and for security in Papua New Guinea.”
The bloodbath marks an escalation of violence in the region. At the same time, tribal fighting is not uncommon in parts of Papua New Guinea, though hazards in Enga province have drawn attention in recent months.
Last year, the province reportedly went into lockdown following a violent outbreak that claimed an estimated 150 lives. The incident gained international attention when social media took up the cause and circulated disturbing footage showing people being tied up and dragged behind a truck as spectators cheered.
Following the incident, Governor Peter Ipatas stated that there had been indications that fighting was about to erupt again. According to him, the most recent escalation involved up to 17 tribes, so it was ultimately up to the security forces to maintain peace.
“From a provincial perspective, we knew this fight was going to be on and we alerted the security forces last week to make sure they took appropriate action to ensure this didn’t occur,” Ipatas said.
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