Southern Highlands tribal fight affecting more than 600 students

MORE than 600 students of Erave High School have been affected by a tribal fight in the Sugu Valley, Southern Highlands.
Former Divine Word University lecturer and Erave High School board chairman Chris Papiali said from Erave they had closed the school because of the fighting between Kagua and Erave stations.
He said the tribal fight had taken the lives of several people and affected innocent people living in Erave.
Papiali said one health centre and five sub-health centres had closed while the Erave High School and Gobe Agro Secondary School and 10 primary school schools had been affected.
Papiali called on the Southern Highlands education board to give special consideration to the Erave High School and not make any decision on the school year until he submitted a situational report to determine if the school be suspended.
He said some missionaries were rescued earlier but Catholic priest Fr Peter Meiz, an American Capuchin priest, was still serving in the fighting zone.
Papiali said as a result public servants had been affected with many having already deserted the district.
He also raised concerns that the construction work on the Kagua-Erave road which was part of the Gulf-Southern Highlands Highway had been affected by the tribal fight.
He said the fight was between the Perepe and Riarepa tribes while their allies from the surrounding areas had joined in the conflict, resulting in the destruction of homes and property along with an unconfirmed number of dead.
“We need Government intervention,” Papiali said.
“We appeal to the provincial police commander as the fighting is affecting around 40,000 people.”
Papiali said both sides had adopted ambush style methods to attack each other.
“We call on the Government and the police commissioner to intervene restore normalcy and peace as the people of Erave want to peace.