Massacre in Enga

By ANTOINETTE POIVI
AT least 49 persons, said to be hired gunmen, were massacred at Akom village in Enga on Sunday, police confirmed yesterday.
Authorities described it as the biggest killing in a tribal conflict reported to date, raising calls for a state of emergency (SoE) and for gun control.
Yesterday, police commissioner David Manning said police reinforcement had left for Wapenamanda “with specific instructions to use all measures of force available when engaged with offenders”.
Even in a province known for its vicious tribal conflicts, the scenes were ghastly and visibly disturbing.
Enga police commander Chief Insp George Kakas confirmed that the recent bloodbath was the result of ongoing conflicts between a combined Sikin and Kaekin tribes against the Ambulin tribe.
Kakas said the Ambulins had heard about a planned attack on them and set up an ambush, which resulted in the death of the 49.
Kakas said those killed were allegedly gunmen brought in from Laiagap, Kompiam-Ambum and Porgera.
Akom village is located along the border of Wabag and Wapenamanda.
Photographs and videos posted on social media show bodies of slain men piled two-to-three deep on the back of a police truck.
Others were lined up on the side of the road, in drains and shrubs and showed mutilated bodies stripped naked.
With police reinforcement already deployed, Wapenamanda MP Mikki Kaeok yesterday called for the declaration of a state of emergency in Enga.
Prime Minister James Marape called it an act of “domestic terrorism”.
There were 26 dead bodies from the Sikin and Kaekin tribes discovered by security forces on Sunday, and these figures went up to 49 as of yesterday, Kakas said.
Numbers as high as 54 deaths had been given but Manning said it was too early and impossible to ascertain at this stage.
Corpses were yet to be recovered from dense shrubs.

The Wapenamanda has been declared a fighting zone and this is still in force.
MP Kaeok said this particular tribal conflict had been ongoing since 2001.
Kakas said last night that the conflict has now grown tentacles into the capital, Port Moresby where elites and businessmen from both sides of the conflict have joined hands to buy arms and ammunition to supply the fight.
Kakas has 20 warrants to arrest people from both sides of the conflict in Port Moresby but has been prevented in his first attempt by a court order.
“I am going back to court to fight them as educated elites and businessmen from both sides are involved,” he said.
Kakas had met with the NCD command and the cybercrime unit to assist with tracking down telephone calls and messaging to track down those involved.
He said he was close to making arrests.
He said the ongoing battles, and the resultant genocide, were related to issues in Port Moresby.
“The case that we are attending to is in relation to leaders and businessmen who live in their comfort zones in Port Moresby and are funding and facilitating tribal fights in Enga,” Kakas said.
He said phone numbers were given to Digicel to track down messages or forms of communication that showed who really was behind the funding of firearms and ammunitions.
“A businessman from the Ambulin tribe was locked up at the Boroko police cells, waiting to be sent to Baisu prison to serve his one-year term for breaching a preventive order.
“Justice David Cannings set aside his warrant of arrest on conditions that he still has to appear in court.
“The case has been adjourned to March 5,” Kakas said.
He said on five occasions, police have called for the tribes to gather and agree on a peace initiative to put an end to these tribal wars, which started in 2001.
“In the last occasion last October, Kandep MP Don Polye was present. At that time, preventive orders were issued, stopping the leaders and tribesmen from further fights.”
“Two weeks after a memorandum of agreement was signed, fighting reignited with eight people reported killed,” Kakas said.
Police Commissioner Manning confirmed the deployment of additional security forces to Wapenamanda last Sunday.
He also urged provincial and local leaders in Enga to intervene and reduce tensions.
“The deaths were barbaric,” he said. “Police are still assessing the number of deaths and injured.”
Investigations were continuing.
“Security personnel have clear orders to engage with offenders using all legal measures of force at their disposal,” Manning warned.
He would make a public announcement on these additional measures soon.