Tribes agree to settle conflict after six months of fighting

By ALPHONSE PORAU
TWO tribes in the Munitake local level government in Enga have finally agreed to resolve their conflict after six months of fighting, police say.
Police police commander George Kakas said the fight between Pumas and Munitake tribes started after the people of Pumas were suspected of killing the former deputy governor and council president Peter Iki last year.
He said the police knew about the incident and tried to negotiate peace talks with the people of Pumas but they could not because the village was in a remote area with no road access.
“The dispute between the two tribes has been going on for six months which the police are aware of but could not go into those places to negotiate peace talk with them,” Kakas said.
“The people from Pumas live right up in the mountains, about 10km to 20km with no road access.
“And even we tried to talk sense into them to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) but they did not agree to what we said.”
He said a church elder and a policeman from the two tribes met at the Porgera police station and agreed to surrender their arms.
Kakas said the message would be relayed to provincial and district law and order office and other authorities for far arrangements to be done.