| Sports |
Loss, pain and
costs of tribal warfare.
By ENIO KUBLE
A permanent building, partitioned in
the middle, to accommodate a canteen in one room and the living
quarters in the other.
This building was unfortunately burnt to ashes in a tribal fight
in 1996 in Dirima in Gumine, Simbu Province.
That was the building I grew up in and I remember it with sadness
to this day because I hold a lot of fond memories about that
house.
Before the fighting, there was a lot of laughter and fun in that
building, of food cooking over the fire and mother sitting
comfortably by the side, making sure that food in the pot was
cooked, as she wove the bilum (string bag).
That fighting also caused large-scale destruction to properties.
Our neighbours lost their homes as well and food gardens, forcing
many of them to flee to other parts of the district to be with
friends until the conflict resolved itself.
The destruction and sorrow was not suffered by my people alone for
the people on the opposing side also faced the same fate.
James Wai Kona of the opposing Kipaku tribe lost his entire
business establishment in a dynamite blast while prominent
community leader and former senior public servant, the late Otto
Olmi lost his permanent buildings.
The buildings which cost a lot of money to put up went up in
flames, and notable Lapun Alua, the first Dirima citizen to
initiate the development process in the area lost his too.
Other citizens had their kunai-thatched buildings burnt, coffee
trees chopped down, food gardens destroyed, livestock displaced
and women and children pushed to the fringe of survival.
What the two main warring tribes, Bomaigauline and Kipaku lost in
that fight cannot be recouped or rebuilt after 1997 when peace was
brokered.
True to the saying 'it took many years to build and a single day
to destroy' Dirima after 10 years looks like a skeletal community.
The community had lost its former glory. The physical environment
was scarred. The place had lost its beauty.
The attitudes of the people had changed. Aggressiveness was the
order of the day. On the streets people armed with 'Tramontina'
bush-knives become the lords and decision-makers.
Care, respect and trust was lost. The five-band tribes of Dirima:
Kipaku, Kuikane, Aleku, Bomaigaulin and Milinkane have their
friendship on face value and thus put to risk the lives of the
7,000 citizens, most of them children and women.
Tribal fight erupted again on the July 28 this year soon after the
declaration of the winning candidate for the Gumine Open.
This time the fight is between the Bomaigaulin and the Aleku with
support from their allies. As I was penning this story, I heard
that three young men were gunned down.
The fight was branded as 'election related', however, I know
different. Instigators took the election as the bandwagon to ride
on to attack their enemy tribes.
Prior to the elections there remained animosities amongst the
tribes. Jealousies, prejudices, backbiting, dishonored promises,
contrary conducts, among others were the daily attitudes of the
people that tried to live together in peace after that bloody
warfare two decade ago.
Individuals know very well the costs involved in pursing the fight
and when compensation that is paid later.
Therefore, an individual may find it hard to declare a tribal war.
What could easily happen are individuals using the election as an
excuse, thus laying the blame squarely on the shoulders of the
candidate.
In the 1996 fight my tribe had to pay K100, 000 and lot more pigs
in compensation payment. The costs are high and the pains are
durable. With the current fight community leaders within Gumine
have to initiate the peace process.
Police intervention is urged and it is pleasing to note that the
security forces on post election duty have moved in to stop the
fighting.
The people need to take note of the message from PNG Defence Force
contingent commander, Lt Colonial Verave Mai to go to the land and
work on it rather than take to the battlefield and take up guns.
For we know that if the fight intensifies and casualties counted
then the Dirima community with their elite members will be forced
to buy or hire guns and ammunitions.
All members of the community should advocate peace and harmony and
support true sons of Dirima, Zackery Kipsy, Aiwa Olmi and others
notable efforts in brokering peace at this point in time.
Zackery, Olmi and the others are individuals with aggressive plans
to restore the spirit of Dirima.
Supporting them is the call for everyone to take up for the fight
is detrimental of the future of Dirima in the years to come.
 
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