Pope calls for Papua New Guinea to ‘end’ tribal violence

The Pontiff urged PNG to ‘stop the spiral’ of decades of unrest that has killed untold numbers of people and displaced tens of thousands more.

Pope Francis attends an event at Government House in Port Moresby on Saturday. Picture: Andrew Kutan / AFP

Pope Francis has urged Papua New Guinea to “stop the spiral” of tribal violence that has killed untold numbers of people and displaced tens of thousands more.

“It is my particular hope that tribal violence will come to an end,” the pontiff told a gathering of politicians, diplomats and civic leaders on Saturday, the first full day of a visit to the South Pacific nation.

“It causes many victims, prevents people from living in peace and hinders development.” There are few reliable estimates about the number of people who have died during decades of tribal unrest between dozens of clans.

But UN agencies estimate that about 100,000 people have been displaced by the violence, which has intensified in recent years.

Clans have fought each other in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands for centuries, but an influx of mercenaries and automatic weapons has made clashes much more deadly.

Where bows, spears and clubs were once the weapons of choice, now tribesmen have a veritable armoury of SLR, AK-47, and M16 rifles.

Mercenaries roam the countryside offering to help tribes settle scores with their rivals in exchange for cash.

Papua New Guinea’s stretched government has tried suppression, mediation, gun amnesties and a range of other strategies to control the violence, with little success.

The murders are often extremely violent, with victims hacked with machetes, burned, mutilated or tortured.

Civilians, including pregnant women and children, have been targeted in the past in a cycle of retaliatory violence that has stretched over years.

But experts say the violence has little to do with ancient customs, and is more about the modern problems of a surging population, a breakdown in traditional rules of war, joblessness and the rising cost of living.

And there is growing concern that violence is spreading to other parts of the country.

In July, at least 27 people – among them 11 children – were massacred in Angoram District, not far from the northern coast.

The Pope said he was appealing to “everyone’s sense of responsibility to stop the spiral of violence and instead resolutely embark on the path that leads to fruitful cooperation for the benefit of all the people of the country”.