Baki: Tribal fighting cultural

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
POLICE Commissioner Gari Baki, pictured, has described tribal fighting in the Highlands region as a “cultural syndrome”, and says a collective approach is needed to stop the use of guns.
“Tribal fighting in the Highlands is a cultural syndrome,” he said.
“It remains in there no matter how hard we try to deal with it. It needs a collective approach.”
He said “traditional” fighting had given way to “modern” fighting.
“In modern tribal fighting, they no longer use bows and arrows,” he said.
“They are using guns.
“They have to look for sources where they can buy guns.
Baki said tribes decided and agreed on buying weapons for the tribe.
“That is what they are doing,” he said.
“People will point fingers at police or defence force or any other entity for that matter.
“But the bottom line is it’s our own people in the community.
“The very fabric of control in our society particularly up in the Highlands is broken down. There is no more respect.
“That is why these things are happening.”
He supported the call for the total ban on guns.
“I would like to have that done but at the same time, we need to consider the needs of other people and their use of it particularly in our villagers for hunting,” he said.
“These are issues we need to take on board.”
Baki said it needed a collective approach.
He said a gun summit held about 10 years ago recommended that a committee look into the issue.
“Now retired Jerry Singirok spoke a lot about that and I supported his views on this,” he said.
“There’s got to be a mechanism that must look at the report and have that implemented.
“There are some recommendations that we cannot implement but there are many that we can at this point in time.”