After the declaration done by the tribes to foster peace in Enga province, following the massacre of 11 men & women, Provincial Police Commander George Kakas explained that he was surprised but happy that for the first time in his experience in the region, the tribes have come to a peace agreement to let the law take its course.
“It was surprising to see the people opt out of violence. Usually in the Highlands, there is the culture that suggests that if you kill one of mine I will do the same to you but in this case it is good to see that people are now embracing the law and its processes.”
Over the past week, Kakas said the 11 persons that were brutally massacred in the altercation from last week were not from the same tribe but from 3 different tribes who lost their lives as a result of a dispute that turned rowdy.
He also advised that there were no demands for compensation as well which astounded the PPC.
“There were no demands at all for compensation. That stand alone is very unique and mostly unheard of in the highlands.”
He explained that most of the time people in the Highlands region call for payback and compensation and if they don’t they resort to retaliation and the use of violence.
He said based on the information that they came across through their investigations, the 11 people that were killed were innocent and were not involved in the fighting.
Police are aware of the identities of those who instigated the fighting and are currently working with the communities to apprehend those involved.