As of: February 20, 2024, 5:24 a.m
By: Karolin Schaefer
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Indigenous people are attacked in an ambush in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.
Dozens of people die from gun violence.
Update from February 19th, 12:02 p.m.:
In Papua New Guinea, a tribe that wanted to attack a neighboring tribe apparently fell into an ambush over the weekend.
Dozens of people were killed.
The number of reported victims rose to 49, according to ABC
TV
on Monday afternoon.
Prime Minister James Marape has now sent additional security forces to the region to bring the situation under control.
First report from February 19th:
Wabag – Numerous people have died in clashes between tribes in Papua New Guinea.
According to police, photos and videos of the crime scene show stripped, blood-stained bodies on the side of the road and in the back of a flatbed truck.
The dead were discovered on Sunday (February 18) near Wabag in Enga province, about 600 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby.
Officers are on patrol near the town of Wabag after the massacre.
© Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary/AFP
Dozens dead after tribal clashes in Papua New Guinea
Like the
AFP
news agency , citing the police
reported that 64 people were said to have been killed in an alleged ambush.
However, updated estimates put the number of victims at 26, reported the TV station
ABC
.
The number of deaths could possibly rise, police representative Samson Kua warned
AFP
.
The attackers are said to have used assault rifles, shotguns and homemade firearms in the attack.
The authorities attribute the clashes to conflicts between the Sikin, Ambulin and Kaekin tribes and other ethnic groups.
Fighting continued in neighboring villages on Monday.
“Many people were killed,” said local police chief George Kakas.
“This is the largest number of massacres in a long time.” Governor Peter Ipatas said that there had already been signs of an escalation last week.
“Act of domestic terrorism”: Violence escalates in the jungle of Papua New Guinea
Police Commissioner David Manning spoke of an “act of domestic terrorism” and called for tougher measures after the latest massacre.
Opponents of Prime Minister James Marape called for an increased police presence in the region and the resignation of the police chief.
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the situation as “very worrying”.
Australia is a close ally of the Pacific island nation.
The two countries recently signed a security agreement to support overstretched police in their fight against arms trafficking, drug smuggling and gang violence.
“Tribal fighting has changed”: Numerous deaths after escalation in Papua New Guinea
The rival tribes in Papua New Guinea have been fighting each other for centuries.
There are more than 750 different clans, often with their own languages, reported
Spiegel
.
Particularly in the highlands, political differences of opinion result in violent conflicts.
Recently, however, brutality has increased.
“The tribal fights have changed,” Kakas said last year.
Access to automated weapons has heightened tensions.
“In the Highlands, clans take up arms to defend their pride and interests,” said the Red Cross.
So far, the government has not managed to contain the escalation of violence.
The soldiers stationed in the Enga region are outnumbered by the fighters.
The province was already sealed off last July due to ongoing fighting to cut off shipments of firearms and ammunition,
BBC
reported .
In January 2024, a temporary state of emergency was declared due to serious riots.
Papua New Guinea is known for its great cultural diversity.
A master wood carver was a guest at the Bremen Übersee-Museum.
(kas/AFP/dpa)
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