Gold Rush

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Violence between rival tribes killed at least 20 people in Papua New Guinea this week, the United Nations said Monday, the latest conflict among tribal members over the control of mining access in the gold-rich Enga province, Al Jazeera reported.

UN and government officials said the violence started days ago in the province’s Porgera Valley, home to one of Papua New Guinea’s largest gold deposits, with up to 50 people potentially killed.

On Saturday, police declared an emergency in the region after the violence escalated. Authorities have also received permission to “use lethal force” to quell the unrest.

Hundreds of tribal members have been fighting in the Porgera Valley since clashes spiraled last month following an attack on a landowner by unauthorized miners. Police officials alleged that illegal miners from the Sakar clan have been squatting on land owned by the Piande tribe.

Tribal conflicts in Papua New Guinea are not uncommon, but the influx of modern, high-powered weapons has made these confrontations far more deadly. The recent unrest follows a similar pattern, with gunfights between rival clans near the Porgera mine in 2022 leaving at least 17 people dead.

The conflict has disrupted the operations of the Porgera gold mine, which had previously accounted for around 10 percent of Papua New Guinea’s annual export earnings.

A disaster management team, led by the national government in coordination with the UN, is trying to address both the violence and the wider humanitarian crisis, the Associated Press noted.

However, efforts to stabilize the region have been hampered by the challenging terrain and the need for security escorts to protect relief workers.

During a recent visit, Pope Francis urged Papua New Guinea to put an end to the cycle of tribal violence that has plagued the nation.

Meanwhile, the Porgera Valley is still reeling from the aftermath of a devastating landslide in May, which buried villages and killed around 2,000 people, according to government estimates.