Ethnic violence inPapua New Guinea often revolves around inter-tribal warfare.
Clans and tribes inNew Guinea have fought each other for centuries over various disputes such as land. In more recent times, elections have been a trigger for violence, with tribes aligned down local candidate and party lines.[1] Traditionally the man who initially has the grievance is considered 'the owner of the fight' (or an elder male on behalf of a woman with the grievance) and is responsible for commencing and ending the fight. His clan is expected to support him. Traditional elders and leaders used to have a more stabilizing effect, but their influence has been diminished in recent times as traditional tribal structures have been changing. For example, fights have recently[when?] been started by youths against the advice of older clansmen and 'the owner of the fight', whose preference has been for mediation.[2] In the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, tribal warfare has become part of and one of the norms of the society and it is thus seen as inevitable (Paul & Gary, 2020).
Customary rules of war exist. The most consistent rule has been the concept of neutrality, where participants should not attack neutral buildings or people. There are only limited means of enforcing such rules, which are usually passed from father to son or during clan meetings. Older community members feel younger generations do not respect these customs. While thebow and arrow has been the staple weapon for centuries, the recent introduction of theautomatic firearms has led to more tragic outcomes.[2]
In 2023, reports indicated that drones have been employed in tribal warfare.[3]
During theBougainville conflict, theBougainville Revolutionary Army underFrancis Ona fought for secession forBougainville fromPapua New Guinea. Copper mines discovered onBougainville Island became a major source of revenue for Papua New Guinea. The vast majority of mine workers were from the mainland and the mine was causing environmental damage, leading to tensions. The people of the islands of Bougainville felt a greater cultural and geographical connection to the rest of theSolomon Archipelago, such as the nation ofSolomon Islands, than they did to mainland Papua New Guinea.[4] The natives saw themselves as "black-skins" and migrants from the mainland as "red-skins".[5] In the2019 Bougainvillean independence referendum, voters voted for independence and the PNG government agreed to give independence to Bougainville in 2027.[6]
In theTrobriand Islands, intertribal warfare was banned duringAustralian colonial rule and disputes were settled with games ofcricket and this often continued after independence.[7] InKiriwina Island, in 2022, more than 30 people were killed in clashes between the Kulumata and Kuboma.[8]
| Highlands conflict | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Yalingin tribe | Yambalekin tribe | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 284 dead, 119,000 displaced | |||||||
In 2021, tribal violence displaced approximately 30,000 people around theHighlands region.[2] InEnga Province, fighting between the Yalingin tribe and the Yambalekin tribe that costs the lives of 80 people and began the year prior ended in a peaceful settlement.[9] In the2022 national election about 89,000 people were displaced nationwide, with most being from the Highlands region.[1] In 2023 in Enga province, up to 150 people were killed during an outbreak of violence[10] and in 2024, 54 people were killed in an ambush.[11]
In urban areas such as the capitalPort Moresby ethnic conflict has included violence between gangs known asRaskols that are associated with different tribes. In Port Moresby the “Kips Kaboni” gang of the localMotu people were involved in attacking residents and gangs of the migrantTari highlanders.[12]
13. Paul, Starza & Sali, Gary (2020). "Communicating an Integrated Clan Based Approach to Tribal Warfare in the Enga Province. Compos Journal.