Leaders sign agreement with police to stop fighting

COMMUNITY leaders at 5-Mile outside Lae have signed agreement with police to stop fighting that erupted last Sunday resulting in two deaths and properties destroyed.
Lae Metropolitan Supt Chief Insp Chris Kunyanban said: “All warring parties, on Wednesday, signed the stop fighting agreements.
“The agreements will be submitted to court and restraining orders will be served to all tribal leaders,” he said.
“And, if there is any more fighting, the leaders will be taken to court to be dealt with accordingly.”
Chief Insp Kunyanban said fighting broke out last Sunday between three ethic groups – Goroka and Sepik against Wabag who were all at 5-Mile settlement.
“The fighting sparked by a land dispute between a man from Goroka and 13 others from Wabag,” he said. “The Goroka man had planted rice on the land and an argument ensued and the Goroka man was slashed to death on the spot.”
Chief Insp Kunyanban said the fighting continued for three days with other settlers from different provinces joining in the clashes in which another man was killed.
He said customary land in dispute belonged to the Labu people and the Lands Department.
The authorities will sort out the land boundaries, but most of the people in the 5-Mile swamp area were illegal settlers.