The Police Commissioner, David Manning, has congratulated the tribal chiefs, the Enga Provincial Government, the Judicial Leadership and his officers for their efforts to negotiate for a ceasefire between the warring tribes, following their negotiations in Port Moresby this week.
He said that with the age old differences and past tensions to be resolved, the ceasefire negotiations were never going to be easy, but much to his delight, many who participated in the discussions brought out the outcome that they wanted to achieve.
“The ceasefire agreement is the first of its kind to deal with the level of unprecedented violence that occurred in Enga recently,” said the Commissioner.
“The peace agreement is not the end of the road; it is an important milestone from which all parties move forward together. The terms of the agreement are very clear and the respect of all communities to these commitments, is vital.”
On that note he said there is a lot of work to do, and it is vital that police and the provincial government continue to play their roles in monitoring and supporting the peace.
Commissioner Manning also expressed his gratitude to the Enga Provincial Administrator, Mr. Sandis Tsaka for his outstanding leadership to listen and understand the range of contested issues that required calming, and bringing together participants.
“There are a historical and current issues that pose a great challenge to mediate and manage, and he is the right man for the job,” said Manning.
He added that the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) is ready to work with other security personnel along with provincial government and the communities to serve the mission, and the new Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Chief Superintendent Fred Yakasa, is ready to work and support the Commander of the Special Policing Zone to ensure peace prevails.
“Now is not the time for indecisiveness in the provincial authority or security personnel. We must act with purpose and dignity to implement lasting peace in Enga.”