Tribal violence escalating with inflow of mercenaries and computerized weapons into the strained island nation.
A gang killed at the least 26 males, girls and youngsters 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 informed 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 informed 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 kids 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 surprising 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, dwelling to lots of of tribes and languages, has a protracted historical past of tribal warfare. However an inflow of mercenaries and computerized weapons has infected the cycle of violence.
In current a long time, the nation’s inhabitants has greater than doubled, inserting rising pressure on land and sources, and stoking deepening tribal rivalries.
In February, Turk’s workplace had known as on the South Pacific island nation to deal with the basis 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 preventing in the identical area in Could.
Allan Fowl, the governor of East Sepik, informed 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 end in 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 improper factor.”