Dozens killed in new ethnic clashes in Papua New Guinea

By Lisa Zengarini

At least 26 fighters and an unconfirmed number of villagers were reported killed in a new spike of ethnic violence between warring tribes in Papua New Guinea.

The violence broke out on Sunday in the Enga Province, in the remote highlands of the Pacific nation, where a tribe and their allies preparing to attack a neighbouring tribe were ambushed. An unspecified number of villagers were also killed.

Ongoing tribal and social tensions in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is a diverse ethnic nation of 10 million, mostly subsistence farmers, home to hundreds of tribes with different languages and cultures, and ethnic violence in the province has been prevalent for some time.

Tensions have intensified since the 2022 elections that confirmed incumbent Prime Minister James Marape of the Papua and New Guinea Union Party (PANGU) and scores of people have died in tribal fighting in the past year.

The latest incident comes just over a month after Marape declared the state of emergency in Port Moresby, the PNG capital, following the violent riots that on  January 10 killed at least  22 people , with shops and cars looted or set on fire.

The "Black Wednesday" riots of 10 January

The riots, dubbed "Black Wednesday riots," erupted from protests staged by policemen and other civil servants after they discovered their wages had been reduced by half. Prime Minister Marape said the pay cut was due to an administrative error which he promised would be corrected in February.

The Papuan bishops deplored the violence and expressed shame at learning that several Catholics involved in prayer groups and youth ministries joined in the devastation.

Bishops deploring the violence

A statement signed by the president of the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Cardinal John Ribat of Port Moresby, also remarked that the events of January 10 should serve as a warning for both the government and the local Church. "There should be realistic policies regarding employment and social security,” said Cardinal John Ribat. 

In a recent interview to Asianews agency, the general secretary of the Papuan Episcopal Conference, Italian missionary Father Giorgio Licini, explained that citizens, Churches, and the government were equally responsible for the violence, also pointing to some new Evangelical and Pentecostal communities “pushing the country into the abyss of religious fundamentalism.”

One of the poorest nations in Oceania

Papua New Guinea, is one of the poorest countries in Oceania, with about one third of the population living below the poverty line, growing social inequality, and high crime rates.

Amid an economic slump that has seen higher inflation and unemployment rates, Prime Minister Marape has faced increased pressure and public resentment from many groups.

Internal security has become an increasing challenge for the Papuan government as neighbouring Australia and China compete for influence in the region, seeking closer security ties to the country in a strategically important part of the South Pacific.