170723 People residing in the Wakunai district have also been urged to move
New Dawn FM News

People residing in villages in the Wakunai district, whom are experiencing heavy ash downpour into their water systems such as, Togarau, Kakarapaia, Karauturi, Atau, Ruruvu and Sisivi, have been urged to vacate their villages and proceed to the Disaster centre at the Wakunai district centre in the next twenty-four hours.
This is a stage 3 alert and we will further inform you and listen and adhere to information from the Bougainville Disaster Management Team leader Mathew Kusa, she said.
Ms Esther Usurup the ABG Deputy Chief Secretary Operations appealed to anyone residing next to the Mt Bagana volcano to leave the area immediately.
It is also important that the people in the affected areas listen carefully to the District Disaster Team leader only and radio announcements made from the office of the Autonomous Bougainville Government Chief Secretary, she added.
Ms Usurup further added that the people do not listen to hearsay from others.
All Regional Disaster Coordination Team are being set-up at the office of the ABG Chief Secretary.
She says all necessary documents have been send to relevant organizations and departments who can assist the government concerning this natural disaster.
The disaster response has created the Disaster Management Team, Coordinator Torokina Boniface Wadari, Police officer incharge Deputy Team leader Clement Vivino, Health Extension officer Peter Chanel Boboho, Community Development officer Amos Baiwa, Acting District Education officer Mekior Sabele, Village District Court officer Justine Wane, Community government officer Joe Savione. District Disaster Team 2 in Wakunai district; District Disaster Team Coordinator Mathew Kusa, Acting District Education Deputy Team leader Martin Evoata, District Health Manager Jaqueline Mirinka, Police officer in-charge Banabas Gote, District Health officer Caroline Fred, Commerce officer William Torres, Deputy chairman Terra Community Government Pedro Uravutu and Deputy chairman Rau Community Government Joseph Akito.
ABG government has now received support from the National Disaster Centre and in partnership with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) to conduct aerial assessment into the situation. All the relief effort will be coordinated through the ABG Disaster and Response office.
Everyone including children, women and men, must remain calm durng these times.
The situation is being closely monitored and the public will be informed in the next seven days; everyday for any further changes and developments of Mt Bagana. Bougainvilleans are urged to pray for our fellow brothers and sisters who are currently affected during this time, she stated.
The contact points Torokina Disaster Coordinator Team Leader Boniface Wadari 735 47081, Wakunai District Disaster Contact Coordinator Team Leader Mathew Kusa 7203 9544....

There is currently a serious problem with tribal fighting and gang violence in some of the Highland provinces of Papua New Guinea. In many areas, the violence surrounding the July 2022 election has essentially continued as a series of rolling fights. The most recent violent event to hit the news is a kidnapping of women and girls in Hela Province. They were brutally raped and subjected to other unnamed horrors before being released.

The problem seems so intractable, widespread and repeated that it is hard to know where to begin. The dominant outcome is impunity for perpetrators. Impunity is justified by reference to difficulties of access and transport, of communication, scarcity of government resources, and the considerable firepower of the feuding parties and gang members. All these are truly difficult logistical obstacles.

But, they are less insurmountable obstacles if we stop viewing the incidents as isolated events, and start seeing them as repeated patterns of behaviour. Paying attention to the systemic and cyclical nature of intergroup fighting highlights two much underused resources in the intervention armoury: timing of interventions, and networks with local communities.

In regard to timing, we use as an illustration a tragic recent case in Enga Province that personally affected one of us. Williams father was murdered, along with three other men, when he attended a peace mediation talk between two clans. This gave rise to immense pressure for payback from Williams clan, but there were many level heads within the clan of the deceased who realised that this could trigger an ever-increasing cycle of violence. They put enormous efforts into containing the forces crying out for revenge channelling their own resources, oratory skills and charisma towards this objective. Against all odds, clan and community leaders managed to stop the violence for 14 days while the haus krai and burial occurred. The immensity of this feat should not be underestimated.

The leaders knew that this temporary peace had an end date; they alone were not strong enough to permanently stop the violence. So they actively sought out the states police force to help them and, they hoped, take the burden from their shoulders by arresting the perpetrators of the original four murders. Unfortunately, the police did not intervene as hoped.

The force of those speaking for peace was eventually overwhelmed by those thirsting for war, and cycle after cycle of attack and revenge occurred, drawing in old conflicts from two or three decades ago. It turned out to be one clan who spoke for peace, against 18 others who mobilised for violence. At the height of the conflict, the state finally sent police and military personnel who were on the ground. They were quickly overwhelmed, as by that stage the violence had escalated...