(Geneva) The UN on Tuesday called on Papua New Guinea to support “tribal reconciliation” and to fight against the proliferation of weapons, the day after a new bloodbath in the highlands region.
“The government must take immediate action to address the root causes of the violence and work towards tribal reconciliation,” said a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jeremy Laurence, in a press release.
Highland communities, “especially women and girls, must be protected,” he added.
Tribal rivalries left between 49 and 64 dead near the towns of Wabag and Wapenamanda (north) some 600 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby, where ancestral conflicts notably oppose the Sikin, Ambulin and Kaekin tribes.
This still provisional assessment by the authorities could worsen with the discovery of other victims in the area.
Prime Minister James Marape has addressed Parliament and promised action after images of mutilated and bloodied bodies piled up along a road horrified the country.
“We urge the Papua New Guinea government to effectively address escalating tribal violence and engage in dialogue with provincial and local leaders to achieve lasting peace and respect for human rights in the region highlands,” said Mr. Laurence.
The spokesperson for the High Commission also notes that “the clashes have become increasingly deadly due to the proliferation of firearms and ammunition in the region”.
Also, he continued, “we ask the government to ensure that all weapons are returned, especially mass-produced firearms.”
Endemic for centuries in this part of the island, tribal clashes have increased in intensity in recent years with the influx of automatic weapons and mercenaries.
The population of Papua New Guinea has more than doubled since 1980, increasing pressure on land and resources while exacerbating tribal rivalries.