Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: HANDOUT / ROYAL PAPAU NEW GUINEA CONSTABULARY / AFP 10:31 a.m., February 19, 2024

The events took place near the town of Wabag (north), in the highlands some 600 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby, reported the country's police chief, David Manning. The victims were likely tribal fighters who were ambushed by a rival group before dawn on Sunday, according to law enforcement.

Sixty-four bodies were found along a stretch of road in Papua New Guinea's remote highlands, police said Monday, in what appears to have been an ambush linked to tribal conflict. The events took place near the town of Wabag (north), in the highlands some 600 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby, reported the country's police chief, David Manning. The victims were likely tribal fighters who were ambushed by a rival group before dawn on Sunday, according to law enforcement.

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Territorial disputes and accusations of theft

“We believe there are still bodies in the bush,” added Deputy Police Commissioner Samson Kua. The police received videos and photos which allegedly came from the places where this violence took place. They show images of bloodied bodies with serious injuries, lying side by side on the side of the road or stacked in the back of a truck.

Tribal clashes, often sparked by territorial disputes and accusations of theft, have occurred for centuries in this part of the island. The influx of automatic weapons has made the clashes more deadly and intensified the violence. Samson Kua said the shooters used a veritable arsenal, including SLR, AK-47, M4, AR15 and M16 rifles, as well as shotguns and homemade firearms. It appears that fighting is continuing in a rural area located near where the violence occurred.

A hundred soldiers deployed

The province's acting police commander, Patrick Peka, said many of the dead appeared to be mercenaries, men who travel the countryside offering to help tribes settle scores with their rivals. “There is little the police and government can do when chiefs and educated elites provide arms, ammunition and call on the services of armed men from other parts of the province,” said Patrick Peka.

The island's government has tried repression, mediation, amnesty and other methods to stem the violence, without much success. The army has deployed around 100 soldiers in the region, but this has had a limited impact and the security services remain insufficient in terms of manpower and weapons. Violence often takes place in isolated communities, when clans launch raids or ambushes in revenge for previous attacks.

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“Very worrying”

The abuses committed are often particularly violent, with victims being cut with machetes, burned, mutilated or tortured. Civilians, including pregnant women and children, have been targeted in the past. The police officers, who have a low income, say they do not have the necessary means to accomplish their mission. Opponents of Prime Minister James Marape's government on Monday called for the deployment of more police officers and the resignation of the country's police chief.

Papua New Guinea's population has more than doubled since 1980, putting increasing pressure on land and resources and exacerbating tribal rivalries. The Prime Minister of neighboring Australia, Anthony Albanese, on Monday called the incident “very worrying”. "We are providing considerable support, particularly for police training and security in Papua New Guinea," he told public broadcaster ABC, adding that Australia remains "available to provide whatever support we can." ".