Porgera, Papua New Guinea — A deadly ambush on a passenger bus in Papua New Guinea’s Enga Province has sparked fears of escalating tribal violence, with local residents describing the attack as a shift towards more unpredictable and widespread conflict. According to police reports, gunmen killed at least seven people and seriously injured up to 13 others near the Porgera mine in the province’s northwest on Tuesday evening.
Authorities revealed that a group of 10 armed individuals, wielding firearms and machetes, orchestrated the ambush by setting up a roadblock on a key highway. The assailants attacked the bus as it was traveling through the area. Videos circulating on social media display the harrowing aftermath, with visibly shattered windows and multiple bodies visible inside the wreckage of the bus.
The injured were swiftly taken to a nearby hospital, and police efforts to determine the motives behind the brutal attack are ongoing. Enga Provincial Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Fred Yakasa, highlighted that ensuring public safety is their primary concern as investigations continue.
In response to the growing insecurity, local police have advised against using public buses, locally known as PMVs, for transportation due to safety risks. The attack is preliminarily linked to the killing of an individual earlier this year, who was allegedly involved in illegal mining activities.
Following the incident, Papua New Guinea police have initiated a special task force to delve deeper into the circumstances of the attack and have imposed a curfew in the region from 4 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.
Ongoing tribal conflicts in Enga Province have previously prompted authorities to declare a state of emergency after at least 30 people were reportedly killed in clashes between rival clans in recent months. These disputes are often fueled by contention over the region’s extensive gold resources.
Officials outside the current emergency declared areas express concerns that this recent violence involved different tribal groups, which could indicate an expanding scope of the conflict. In light of these developments, Prime Minister James Marape issued directives to extend the state of emergency across more districts along the Highlands Highway, stressing the enforcement of law and order over mediation in tribal disputes.
The Prime Minister also announced forthcoming legislative measures aimed at bolstering law enforcement’s capabilities. These are set to include powers for more rapid and robust responses to such violent incidents and better protection for state agencies engaged in policing duties.
As international observers monitor the situation, United Nations representatives and humanitarian organizations continue to assess the broader implications of these conflicts on local and regional stability. Their efforts to assist affected communities are further complicated by the challenging security environment, marked by the sporadic eruption of violence and ongoing tribal tensions.
Local leaders and international advisors alike are calling for a coordinated security and humanitarian response, emphasizing the urgency of restoring peace and ensuring safe passage and basic services to the communities caught in the crossfire. In a nation still grappling with the challenges of tribal divisions and resource-related conflicts, the recent bus ambush painfully underscores the critical need for sustained and comprehensive peace-building initiatives.