This archive report was first published on 10 July 2019.
On July 10, 2019, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape vowed to avenge the brutal killings of 24 people, including two pregnant women and their unborn children, in tribal fighting in the country's highlands.
The violence occurred in Hela province, a rugged region in the west of the country, where local officials reported at least 24 people had been killed in a three-day spasm of violence between rival tribes.
Highland clans have fought each other in Papua New Guinea for centuries, but an influx of automatic weapons has made clashes more deadly and escalated the cycle of violence.
“Twenty-four people are confirmed dead, killed in three days, but could be more today,” Hela provincial administrator William Bando told AFP on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Marape, who is from the province, called for at least 100 police to be deployed to reinforce some 40 local officers and vowed more security deployments.
“Your time is up,” Marape warned the perpetrators, adding that the death penalty was “already a law”.
He noted that the province of 400,000 people was struggling to function with policing law and order due to a lack of resources, with under 60 policemen and occasional operational military and police.
“How can a province of 400,000 people function with policing law and order with under 60 policemen, and occasional operational military and police that does no more than band-aid maintenance,” he said.
