By PEARSON KOLO
A woman was shot dead, K6,000 in cash and three boxes of bullets were taken from her over the Christmas period in a bloody tribal fight that is currently going on in the Enga province.
The fight which started early last year is between tribes from Wapenamanda district and tribes from Kompiam district both in the Enga province.
The woman from the Kompiam side was allegedly taking the money and the bullets and was on her way to purchase a gun when she was intercepted by enemy tribesmen that shot her dead and took the cash and the bullets.
A young man, Kemben Lai from Wapenamanda said the woman’s side retaliated last week and killed four men from the Wapenamanda side and also took two high powered guns from them.
Mr Kemben said the fight is taking place along the Lower Lai area of Wapenamanda and towards the Sau area in Kompiam.
The young man said the fight involves high powered guns and the warring tribes are using guerilla ambush tactics and many bloody face to face encounters.
According to people from the affected areas, the fight started from a drunken brawl in Kiunga in the Western province in March last year and spilled into Enga resulting in the hacking to death of a senior public servant in Wapenamanda.
The fight has now involved many tribes in the affected area and some men from Baiyer in the Western Highlands side have reportedly joined the fight due to family ties on both sides.
Leaders from Wapenamanda have called on the elected leaders of Wapenamanda and Kompiam districts to send police and other security agencies into the fighting zone and stop the fight as it is affecting many people, including women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
The fight has already claimed the lives of more than 25 men, women and children and destroyed houses, government services and churches.
It is feared this fight will affect the National Census this year and the National General Election next year if it is not stopped.
No need to send government forces, let them kill each other.