By ANDREW ALPHONSE
A TOTAL of 20 tribal warlords from Tari in the Southern Highlands province will graduate tomorrow in Tari with certificates in peace mediation and restorative justice.
The warlords from the tribal fighting areas in Tari district met at Hoiebia United church for the two-week course aimed at putting an end to their outstanding tribal conflicts and disputes.
The course was facilitated by a peace advocacy and non-governmental organisation Young Ambassadors for Peace (YAP).
Joy Balaso, an international YAP trainer from Uniting church of Australia, was in Tari to conduct the courses.
Warlords from enemy tribes of Hawa, Ayako, Paijaka, Tani, Haro, Pureni, Hambuali, Linapinin and Hundupi clans of the Angore gas project area participated in the course.
The peace initiative was spearheaded by incumbent local MP James Marabe who recently launched an awareness themed “No Peace-No Progress”.
Mr Marabe said so far warring factions had agreed to peace and reconciliation and once peace and normalcy was restored, he would focus on reviving the public service machinery before proceeding to building roads and infrastructure.
Mr Marabe said he would build classrooms, roads, aid-posts and provide other government services into the respective council wards in the fighting areas as incentives for the tribes to come forward and resolve their disputes.
Mr Marabe said YAP, Hela Christian Churches, Tari based police Mobile Squad unit 9 led by senior Insp John Iara and more than 90 Hela tertiary students were taking the lead to conduct the awareness.
He said YAP had engaged the tribal leaders of all warring parties for peace mediation, workshops, conflict resolution and reconciliation process.
Mr Marabe said the awareness and peace building process would lead to a massive arms surrender scheduled for Easter festive next year at Andaija oval.
Mr Marabe said on Christmas eve, a major combine crusade for peace would be staged in Tari where the three Hela MPs Francis Potape for Komo Margarima, John Kekeno for Koroba -Lake Kopiago and Governor Anderson Agiru would be attending.
He said the Hela MPs would work to revive law and justice sector programmes in the region, adding that there were no courts and jails in Tari and a complete breakdown of law and order enforcing agencies while people resolve their conflicts through tribal means.