As of: February 19, 2024, 9:47 a.m
By: Karolin Schaefer
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Officers are on patrol near the town of Wabag after the massacre.
© Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary/AFP
Tribal fighting has raged in the highlands of Papua New Guinea for centuries.
Now the violence is escalating again and claiming numerous victims.
Wabag - Dozens of people have died in tribal fighting in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.
The bodies were discovered on Sunday evening (February 18) near the town of Wabag in Enga province.
This is about 600 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby.
Massacre in the jungle of Papua New Guinea: Reports on the death toll differ
According to police, there are supposedly photos and videos of the crime scene.
They show stripped and bloodied corpses on the side of the road and in the back of a flatbed truck.
At least 64 people were killed in the massacre - apparently in an ambush, the
AFP
news agency reported , citing the police.
However, corrected estimates put the number of victims at 26, the TV station
ABC
reported on Monday morning (February 19).
However, the number of deaths could still rise, police representative Samson Kua told
AFP
.
“We believe there are still some bodies out there in the bush,” Kua said.
The attackers are said to have used assault rifles, shotguns and homemade firearms.
Authorities attribute the incident to conflicts between the Sikin, Ambulin and Kaekin tribes and other ethnic groups.
Fighting continued in surrounding villages on Monday.
Opponents of Prime Minister James Marape are calling for an increase in police presence in the region and the resignation of the police chief.
Brutal tribal fighting in Papua New Guinea: Worst massacre in the region
According to acting police chief George Kakas, this could be one of the largest massacres in the province - "perhaps in the entire Highlands," he was quoted as saying by the
ABC
.
There were already signs of escalation last week, said Governor Peter Ipatas.
Warring tribes in Papua New Guinea have been fighting each other for centuries.
As Der
Spiegel
reported, there are more than 750 different clans with different languages.
Especially in the highlands, political differences take the form of battles.
However, these have recently gained brutality.
“The tribal fights have changed,” Kakas said last year.
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Access to automated weapons has exacerbated conflicts and caused numerous deaths.
Last July, Enga was sealed off due to ongoing fighting to stop deliveries of firearms and ammunition,
BBC
reported .
After serious riots in January 2024, Marape temporarily declared a state of emergency in the Pacific island nation.
Eyewitnesses spoke of “total anarchy”.
It remains to be seen whether a state of emergency will be declared this time too.
Developments in Papua New Guinea “very worrying”
So far, the government has not been able to contain the escalation of violence.
The soldiers stationed in the region are outnumbered by the fighters.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the latest massacre as "very disturbing," he told
ABC
.
Australia, whose northernmost border is around 200 kilometers from Papua New Guinea, recently concluded a security agreement with the island nation.
This is intended to support the overstretched police in their fight against arms trafficking, drug smuggling and gang violence.
“We remain available to provide any support we can,” Albanese said.
New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens has been held hostage by Papuan rebels for a year.
(kas/AFP)