Islanders to be evicted

MANAM Islanders currently settled at the Mangem Care Centre in Sumkar along the north coast of Madang will be evicted following a long-standing conflict with locals from Bunabun.
In a consultative meeting yesterday between Sumkar MP Chris Nangoi, district CEO Kuak Kuagili, police commander acting Supt Mazuc Rubiang, Manam Restoration Authority (MRA) vice chairman John Bivi and leaders from Bunabun and Sumgilbar LLGs, it was agreed that they will be evicted by the end of next month.
The move to evict them came about following the death of a youth last month during a clash between the islanders and the locals of Bunabun. Properties and food gardens were destroyed.
Nangoi said he would make a submission to the National Executive Council on Wednesday and consult with the Inter-Government Relations Minister Pila Niningi and MRA executives before the eviction exercise went ahead.
“My people of Bunabun have suffered for too long with lives lost and properties destroyed almost every year following conflict after conflict with the Manam people and they can take it no longer,” Nangoi said.
He said Bogia MP Robert Naguri agreed to receive his people and has allocated funds for the exercise and started constructing a road into Andarum. Bunabun community leader Daniel Dadar said it was the government that brought the Manam people to Mangem and they should send them back as the locals had enough dealing with them. “Frustration has built up over the past 16 years and we can’t take it anymore, we just want them to go,” he said. Dadar said the continuous fighting and conflicts resulted in their primary school at Bunabun and health centre closing their doors and cutting of basic services.