At least 64 people have died in tribal violence in Papua New Guinea. That's what the local police say. The massacre reportedly occurred after an ambush in Enga province in the remote Highlands region of the South Pacific island nation. The massacre signals a serious escalation of ongoing tribal violence in the region.
The latest violence occurred near the town of Wabag, 600 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby. The incident is believed to be related to a conflict between members of the Sikin and Kaekin tribes. The police have received videos and photos that apparently come from the crime scene: They show naked and bloody bodies lying on the side of the road and stacked in the back of a low-loader truck. Highland clans have fought each other in Papua New Guinea for centuries, but the influx of automatic weapons has made clashes even deadlier and worsened the cycle of violence. The government has attempted to control the violence through repression, mediation, amnesties, and a variety of other strategies, but with limited success. The army has deployed around 100 troops to the area, but their impact has been limited and the security services remain outnumbered and outgunned. The killings often occur in remote communities, with clan members launching raids or ambushes to avenge previous attacks. Civilians, including pregnant women and children, have been targeted in the past. The murders are often extremely violent; the victims are beaten to death, burned, mutilated or tortured. Police complain that they lack the resources to do their jobs. Officers are so poorly paid that some of the weapons that end up in the hands of tribal members come from the police. Opponents of Prime Minister James Marape's government called on Monday for more police to be deployed and the police commissioner to resign. Papua New Guinea's population has more than doubled since 1980, putting strain on land and resources and exacerbating tribal rivalries.
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