Warring tribes lay down arms

By JUNIOR UKAHA
TWO warring villagers have decided to bury the hatchet more than three years after an extra-marital affair sparked the clash.
The villagers from Nauong and Hamorong in Mindik, Finschhafen, Morobe, could not settle their differences during that period.
However, they turned out in large numbers last week to surrender their guns, bush knives, bows and arrows to police and mediation officials at Mindik Station.
Burum Kuat local level government president Dick Iwong said the three-year conflict between the Nauong and Hamorong villagers started when a Nauong man had an affair with the wife of a Hamorong man.
He said the Hamorong husband killed the Nauong man sparking  the inter-village fight.
Iwong, who is also the chairman of the provincial law and justice committee, said the fight had claimed five lives since it started in 2009.
Many homes and properties were also destroyed during the past three years of fighting between the two villages.
A five-man peace mediation team headed by Iwong and Sgt Peter Luke of the Finschhafen police station drove 80 km into the mountainous Burum Kuat LLG and told the people to surrender their weapons.
“They listened and surrendered 10 home-made guns, 107 bows and arrows and 14 bush knives,” Iwong said.
“Men from both sides made an agreement before the police and peace officers that they wouldn’t fight again.”
Iwong said there were many fights that took place in the area but because of its isolation, police could not control them.
“I have made a submission to the provincial executive council to build a police station in the area and it has approved K200,000 for the project,” Iwong said.
He urged Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga to send some policemen to be stationed in the area once the police post had been built.