Requests reconciliation for trek victims

By MALUM NALU
PEOPLE living along Morobe’s Black Cat Track – from Wau to Salamaua – are still reeling from the effects of last September’s attack in which three porters were killed and eight injured.
Salamaua local level government vice-president Jason Tabora said a lot needed to be done to bring back normalcy.
Two porters killed were Terry Rarobu, from Biaweng, outside Wau, and Mathew Gibob from Skin Diwai.
They were hacked to death when a trekking group, including eight Australians and a New Zealander, were attacked on the Black Cat Trail outside Wau.
A third porter, Lionel Aigilo from Lougui village, in Salamaua, succumbed to his injuries at the Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae.
“The latest along the Black Cat Trail is that the two communities that were affected – Lougui and Iwal Kaiwa –  have agreed to meet with relatives of the perpetrators and reconcile,” Tabora said.
“The Iwal Kaiwa must now compensate the Lougui and say sorry as well as to the other eight porters who were injured. They will be maimed for life.
“An Iwal Kaiwa porter (Gibob) was killed and another was injured. Otherwise, we don’t know what is happening along the trail. We hear it’s like cowboy country right now. Everyone’s walking around in fear.
“There is mineral exploration going on involving expatriate miners. The miners get in through Wau.”