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Tukupangi. Residents stage a reenactment of a tribal fight that took place in their district. The entire village was burnt to the ground and forced the shutdown of the region’s only health clinic. Jessie Boylan | ICRC
Tribal Violence in Papua New Guinea

Tribal fighting remains ubiquitous in the Highland communities of PNG. As the pattern of violence worsens, the role of groups like the ICRC only becomes more essential.
ARTICLE 15 MARCH 2022 AUSTRALIA PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Content warning: This article mentions sexual violence.


"Fighting in Papua New Guinea? Really?"

This is the usual response I get when I tell people about the work the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) undertakes in PNG alongside the PNG Red Cross. While only four kilometres in the Torres Strait/Zenadth Kes separate Australia and PNG, an understanding of the struggles faced by our next-door neighbours is distant for most Australians.

Since 2012, the ICRC has responded to tribal violence in PNG's Enga, Hela and Southern Highlands provinces. In 2021, approximately 30,000 people were displaced by communal violence in the areas in which the ICRC operates. While this number is tiny in comparison to other places where the ICRC operates like Syria and Yemen, these fights have considerable effects on Highland communities.

Tribal fights are brutal. The aim is simple – to destroy the enemy, mentally and physically. Fights generally take place in or around remote villages without access to medical assistance or law enforcement. By taking over the enemy's land, the occupying party is better positioned during future peace and compensation negotiations. Unfortunately, the civilians who do not participate in the fights are the ones who bear the brunt of the violence. Many are wounded or killed during these intense battles. The Highlands' limited access to healthcare only adds to the anguish. Regrettably, at times sexual violence occurs during these fights. On top of immediate needs, the impact of violence remains even after the fighting has stopped — fleeing villagers are often displaced for months or even years.

The changing nature of tribal violence
While tribal fighting is not new to PNG or the Highlands, several factors have made the situation worse in the last 20 years.

For one, more than 50 percent of the nation's population is under the age of 24. In the ICRC's experience, the Highlands have an even higher proportion of youth. Few opportunities and limited employment in the region push many youths towards violence. Further, as PNG modernises, traditional cultural and tribal structures are rapidly changing. With more outside communications, traditional elders and leaders are losing their stabilising influence. Finally, the introduction of modern weapons and methods of warfare have led to more brutal outcomes.

In the Highlands, clans take up arms against each other to defend their pride and interests. The clan's decision to escalate