Tribe releases teen captured from rival clan

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By JAMES GUMUNO
MEMBERS of a tribe have released a teenager they had captured from a rival tribe last Wednesday as fighting rages in Dei, Western Highlands.
The Kimka tribesmen released 16-year-old Isaac Nikints on Friday at Mun village back to the Rolgake tribe after they had captured him at Gumanch. The release of the teenager was witnessed by provincial police commander Jacob Kamiak, Mun parish priest Joseph Siune, Nikints’ uncles Cr Sanage Kepeke and Cr John Nasa, police officers and peace mediators. The fighting between the two tribes began in March fuelled by the death of a Rolgake tribesman blamed on “poisoning”.
Kimka tribal leader David Muka, who was shot on the arm last Wednesday, said they could have killed Nikints but didn’t.
“We took Nikints home, looked after him and released him because we do not want to fight,” he said.
Muka said they released Nikints on the condition that members of the rival tribe moved away from certain areas in dispute.
Fellow tribesman David Lo said the release of Nikints did not mean the end of fighting.
“The actual peace process will come later. We just released Nikints to show that we do not want to fight any more,” he said.
Kamiak commended the Kimka tribesmen for releasing Nikints unhurt back to his family.
“This is a rare occasion where I witness a warring tribesmen catching one of their enemies in a the battlefield alive then setting him free to return to his people,” he said.