STATE of EMERGENCY FOR PORGERA

 

Disorder in Porgera. Picture supplied.

STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN PORGERA

THE Papua New Guinea Government has declared an 8-months State of Emergency to curb violence in Porgera, Enga Province.

Prime Minister James Marape, now in his home electorate of Tari to campaign for re-election, announced that the National Executive Council has passed an NEC decision to that effect.

The SOE, the third so far for Porgera since 2009, will end in December.

He said: “Cabinet has signed off on the SOE, I have signed off and it is now the implementation of orders in ensuring we keep Porgera safe.”

“Porgera is an important asset for the country, Barrick, Kumul Minerals, Mineral Resource Enga is now heading for the last stretch of agreement has far as the commencement agreement is concerned.

“Yes we are concerned about the law and order and I have been updated on the regular basis of the police and PNGDF being sent to Porgera.”

Police Commissioner David Manning said: “We have deployed additional personnel to Porgera in response to the ongoing incidents.”

In it's editorial last Friday, the influential daily, Post-Courier stressed: STOP ‘RAMBOS’ WREAKING HAVOC IN PORGERA

The editorial noted: The violence in Porgera is nothing short of terrifying, a tribal fight exacting a terrible toll on innocent lives.

As elections begin in our country, graphic images of frightened women and children cowering in fear and panic under a cliff on a mountainside are chilling.

The fight is between two neighbouring tribes. They are said to be divided by a small creek. And that is now running red with spilled blood.

These are tribesmen running wild and amuck with high powered guns. The police presence is not enough to even curb the fighting.

Even the thought of going to jail for possessing an unlicensed gun, as per the anti-guns law passed in the last Parliament, is not a deterrent to these blood thirsty law breakers.

One wonders how these bushmen receive such high-powered murderous weapons and ammunition to wage such devastating wars?

The army needs to move in.

Just this week, two cops were apprehended by their own colleagues in Enga, arrested and charged with possession of government issued firearms.

Where the guns were headed is anybody’s guess. But this is a very serious issue that the Singirok Guns Report of a decade ago highlighted as a problem that would lead to regional stability, especially in the highlands, if it continued unchecked.

These elections, as was the previous one, will be a hotbed for fomented violence as it is an open secret that weapons buildup has already occurred in many districts.

Much of the firearms are in the hands of political supporters of sitting MPs and local warlords.

Here is the frightening aspect of tribal fighting in the highlands. It is a trend that is developing at an alarming rate.

Powerful tribes, fearful of losing their men, are now hiring mercenaries from outside to fight their enemies.

If the fight is in Enga, as is the case of the Porgera conflict, then the belligerent tribes can seek the services of mercenaries from as far as Tari in Hela, or neighbouring Kandep. 

The cost to the community is bewildering. A top ranked ‘Rambo’ mercenary can easily command thousands in cash, pigs and a wife, for his services. The disturbing effect is that ‘rambos’ usually demand for maidens.

We appeal to the government to form a taskforce to weed out and put a complete end to this evil perpetrated by warring tribesmen.

Our country cannot progress until there is peace and harmony in the farflung remote communities.

Porgera is an important resource cog in our country’s progress and future success for our children. The giant mine is set to resume, possibly after the national elections, but only if the environment is conducive. 

Therefore, we call for serious efforts to be made to end the fighting in Paiam township.

Peace must return to Porgera Valley at all costs. Our people there deserve to live in peace and go about their everyday lives without fear of being attacked, robbed, raped, maimed or killed.

The police and army presence is urgently required under the circumstances. The churches are not doing enough and the political leadership is almost nonexistent to even take the bull by the horns.

 

People fleeing from Porgera town.