Papua New Guinea’s Chuave District Development Authority is condemning an attack on a priest and his team in Chimbu province.

Father Ryszard Wajda (SVD), three nurses, two doctors from Mingende hospital, and two Catholic education officers returned on a four-day foot patrol to Kiari in Nomane sub-district when they were attacked at Dulai village by villagers from Nomane.

The few villagers who fixed a damaged section of the Nomane feeder road demanded K1000 (NZ$425) from Father Wajda and his team and attacked them after alleging that they had missed out on disaster money given by Prime Minister James Marape to the province.

Father Wajda, who is the parish priest of Wangoi in Chuave district, said that his team gave K200 (NZ$85) but the Dulai villagers refused this.

“The villagers directed violent abusive language to me and more to my team members,” he said.

He said that one of the education officers was punched several times, and others were violently pulled out of my parish vehicle.

“I stayed in the car, and nobody touched me physically,” he said.

Teacher intervened
Father Wajda said that they were allowed to travel after a teacher from the area intervened and assured the villagers that he would pay K1000 when he received his fortnightly pay.

He said that he had helped the local teacher last Friday to pay K1000 demanded by the villagers.

“It took us one day to walk and cross Waghi to visit my new Catholic community in remote Kiari at their request and spend four days with them addressing different issues,” he said.

Father Wajda said the nurses and doctors treated 200 patients during the three days working from 8am-11am every morning. He said the two education officers inspected the education institution.

“It took us 12 hours to walk back to Dulai and another village a few kilometres further up when my parish vehicle waited and picked us up,” he said.

He said that that the attack was unfortunate and local community leaders were negotiated fr a peace reconciliation.

Chief executive officer Francis Aiwa of Chuave District Development Authority (CDDA) said the attack on Father Wajda’s group was “uncalled for”.

He said that the perpetrators must be arrested and put behind bars.

The Catholic Church played an important role in the lives of everyone and such attack and killing of a priest are uncalled for and must not be repeated, Aiwa said.

Republished from the Post-Courier with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding.

More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province.

In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been swept away in flooding.

Wapenamanda community leader Aquila Kunzie told RNZ Pacific his village alone was housing almost 100 displaced women and children from the tribal warfare.

As bad weather hampers food production, the need for aid is critical, Kunzie said.

“The massacre has claimed any lives. As the days go by . . . the government is taking the initiative to call for peace negotiations that are ongoing at the moment,” he said.

“The situation is [that] we are feeling the impact of short supply and food rations in the village.

“We are being neglected due to probably bad politics,” Kunzie said.

Kunzie spoke to RNZ Pacific from Mambisanda village mission station where he said the mighty Timin River was only 15m walking distance.

“Constant continuous rainfall in Wapenamanda district has caused rivers to flood,” Kunzie said, adding “food gardens have been washed away”.

A grade eight student has was reportedly washed away, Kunzie said.

“We couldn’t find him due to the heavy flood. The boy is about 15-years-old,” he said.

Woman mutilated
On top of flooding, The National is reporting a woman has been found dead in Wapenamanda despite a ceasefire being agreed to by warring factions.

“It has also been reported maybe the rascals people must have raped her and wounded her and threw her helpless on the road and she was found in the morning,” Kunzie said.

While the woman was found on the road in another village to where Kunzie is, his village is housing “almost 100” victims of tribal warfare.

But with so many mouths to feed and food crops damaged by heavy rains food rationing is in place.

“Only one meal per day, we can’t afford breakfast and lunch with all of them.”

“We say drink only water and stay and have one meal and go to bed and wait for the next day.”

The bad weather has hampered the growth of food and that is becoming a “very critical issue”, Kunzie said.

He said calls for help have fallen on deaf ears.

“We have no way to call out for help,” he said.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Leadership of Papua New Guinea has “gone to the dogs” represented by a rapid increase in prices of goods and services and the “worst national election” ever, says a lawyer.

Lawyer Goiye Kondago made the crtiticism during the official declaration of Kerenga Kua as MP-elect for Sinasina-Yongomugl in Kundiawa, Chimbu Province.

He pointed out Papua New Guinea’s “worrisome economic state” was being felt at family level.

“Goods and services tax (GST) seemed to be doubled up within a year with reasons unknown to you, the simple people in the village,” he said.

“Our kina seems to have a very low value compared to other currencies while our country is still rich with mineral resources which is supposed be the solution to such economic crisis at hand, rather than GST.

“It is painful to tell you this but we are in this situation.

“However, election time is when we bet our lives to appoint leaders who should form a good government to better manage our country’s current economic downfall.

‘Now or never’
“It is now or never.”

He thanked the people of Sinasina-Yongomugl for having trust in Kua’s leadership and re-elected him to serve for the third term.

He urged Kua’s supporters not to retaliate on any “troublesome attempt” by opposing candidates and to maintain peace and order.

Pangu Pati’s Prime Minister James Marape has been re-elected prime minister with a unanimous vote.

Concy Simon is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Nine suspects arrested over a barbaric machete attack on Sunday outside the counting venue at Port Moresby’s Sir John Guise Stadium have been labelled “innocent” and released this week from Papua New Guinean police custody at Waigani.

The act stirred up public fear, anxiety and created a lot of debate on the 2022 national general election in the National Capital District (NCD). It also got the attention of international media from the video circulated widely on social media showing a group of men chasing two men with bush knives, iron bars and other weapons and attacking them on the road at Waigani.

Reports from reliable security forces said that the nine suspects arrested behind Sports Inn, just next to Sir John Guise Stadium after discovery of bundle of knives inside their vehicle, had never taken part in the fight and were innocent.

Police picked them up after they ran down to their camp location fearful of being attacked by other candidate supporters following the fight that had erupted outside the counting venue.

Police said the men were all from Chimbu province, employed by a security firm, and the owner of the company was also an election candidate.

The bush knives discovered inside their vehicle belonged to the company.

The vehicle impounded by police is under investigation.

Marjorie Finkeo is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz