Communities strike deal to maintain peace

By ELIAS LARI
COMMUNITY leaders of the three people killed in Enga’s Paiala on Saturday have agreed not to retaliate but allow the law to deal with their grievances.
Nomale community leaders made the decision on Tuesday at a peace negotiation meeting in Porgera district chief executive officer Jerry Maku’s office with members of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and police.
Maku told The National yesterday that the meeting involved community leaders from Iayale who were willing to end the fight.
Maku said five people were attacked, three died and two others were fighting for their lives in Porgera Hospital.
Three men from the Nomale were shot dead while trying to salvage belongings from a lodge which was burnt earlier during the fight.
The lodge is owned by a man from Iayale and his tribesmen came out from their hiding and attacked them, killing three and wounding two.
Maku said the death toll was nine in a week.
Since the killing, soldiers and police were deployed to monitor the public law and order.
He said the fight between the Nomale and the Iayale had affected many innocent people, crippling basic services such as education.
Maku said the meeting was a breakthrough for both parties to end the conflict so that people can return to normalcy.
“With the general election, we have to bring peace within these two warring tribes,” he added.
He said the fighting had also changed the venue for the Porgera mine landowner’s development forum to Wabag this week.
“Tribal fighting mentality should become a thing of the past as we are adapting to the modern world.” Maku said.