Another killing in the Porgera Valley immediately after the country’s independence celebrations has once again sparked anger and outrage amongst locals and fear in residents with calls again for both provincial and national governments to intervene immediately.
A village court magistrate from the Lukal area who had been actively involved in facilitating peace efforts for the ongoing tribal disputes was killed on 17 September while he was out in the garden gathering food with his wife and a female in-law. Unconfirmed reports are that the two women have been taken hostage and are yet to be located.
Nine days earlier, the now deceased Lopan Wake had led the Paiam community in a staged protest calling on the government to declare a State of Emergency (SOE) after a man from the same Lukal village was killed.’ Frustrated family members, relatives and the Paiam community expressed their frustrations by blocking the highway and staged a haus cry for the deceased on the open road. They urged the government and relevant authorities to intervene and put an end to the spill over of killings of innocent people in the valley.
Immediate family and relatives of the late Magistrate Wake say they want the law and government to deal with the matter.
Family spokesperson Kelly Yambi said there have been many spill-over conflicts in Porgera that there is confusion as to establishing what tribal groups are responsible for the Lukal killings. “I am not sure who is really responsible for the initial tribal conflicts but all I know is that the spillover of the conflict is affecting my people and we are falling victims… We signed a covenant with God and we do not want to take revenge. We have buried two men already and now I will bury my brother”, Mr Yambi said.
Mr Yambi, also a landowner from the Lease for Mining Purpose (LMP) also raised concern that the operation of the Porgera mine will be affected if such brutal killings continue in Porgera region. In addition, a local leader and committee member of the Porgera Crisis Management group Sam Angai called on the Enga provincial government to fulfil its commitment as a beneficiary of the Porgera mine.
“I want to appeal to our good governor Sir Peter Ipatas; you had been disputing for the 5% share of the Porgera mine but what is so hard about you declaring at least a special operation like a curfew for few months in the valley to cool down the situation? You can only spill the guts for a cut of the Porgera mine’s share as if you are the landowner of the Porgera mine, but people are now dying while waiting for the mine to reopen”, Mr Angai expressed.
Porgera Police Station Commander (PSC) Jack Kimala expressed during the security forum in Porgera earlier this month that the local police did not have the capacity nor the resources to deal with the current tribal conflicts that have infiltrated into the Paiaim township and neighbouring communities.
He said the initial report filed through to the police hierarchy following the September 9 law and order protest in Paiam is still pending an approval.