Tribal violence escalating with inflow of mercenaries and automated weapons into the strained island nation.
A gang killed at the least 26 males, girls and kids in an assault on three distant villages in Papua New Guinea’s north, police mentioned.
The gang, which struck earlier this month, consisted of “30 younger males”, in response to James Baugen, a provincial police commander in East Sepik province. “It was a really horrible factor,” he instructed the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) on Friday,
“Among the our bodies left within the evening have been taken by crocodiles into the swamp. We solely noticed the place the place they have been killed. There have been heads chopped off,” Baugen instructed ABC.
All the homes within the villages had been burned and the remaining villagers have been sheltering at a police station, too scared to call the perpetrators. The attackers have been hiding and there have been no arrests but, he added.
Volker Turk, the United Nations excessive commissioner for human rights, had confirmed that the assaults occurred on July 16 and July 18 and have been motivated by “a dispute over land and lake possession and consumer rights”.
Turk mentioned in a press release on Wednesday that the dying toll may surpass 50 as authorities seek for lacking folks. Sixteen youngsters had been killed within the assault, he added, and greater than 200 villagers had fled as their properties have been torched.
“I’m horrified by the stunning eruption of lethal violence in Papua New Guinea,” mentioned the UN rights chief, calling on the authorities “to conduct immediate, neutral and clear investigations and to make sure these accountable are held to account”.
Cycle of violence
Papua New Guinea, house to a whole bunch of tribes and languages, has an extended historical past of tribal warfare. However an inflow of mercenaries and automated weapons has infected the cycle of violence.
In latest many years, the nation’s inhabitants has greater than doubled, putting growing pressure on land and sources, and stoking deepening tribal rivalries.
In February, Turk’s workplace had referred to as on the South Pacific island nation to handle the foundation causes of the unrest after dozens have been killed in a clash between rival tribes.
At the very least 26 males have been killed in an ambush within the Enga province in February. Eight folks have been killed and 30 properties torched in combating in the identical area in Could.
Allan Chook, the governor of East Sepik, instructed ABC that violence within the nation has been getting worse over the previous 10 years.
“Over the past 10 years or so, if a criminal offense is dedicated, investigations hardly lead to arrest,” he mentioned. Even when they’re arrested, it’s troublesome to go to courtroom and go to jail. That’s giving lawbreakers extra braveness to do the unsuitable factor.”