A tribal fight over a stolen pig has killed five people in Papua New Guinea’s remote highlands, police said Tuesday.
Remote areas of Papua New Guinea regularly see violent tribal clashes — sometimes leading to killings — sparked by conflicts over land, resources or other disputes.
Police said the argument over the pig began January 4 between the Wika and Waka tribes at Nondugl in the mountainous Jiwaka province.
“The Waka tribe accused the Wika tribe of stealing a pig and a fight broke out in which a man from the Waka tribe was killed,” national police said in a statement.
“The Wika tribe refused to surrender the murder suspect so the tribesmen of the deceased organised and attacked and killed four men from the Wika tribe.”
Police intervened to halt the violence and organise peace talks, Jiwaka provincial police commander Albert Korin was quoted as saying.
The two tribes are expected to set a date this week for signing a proposed peace agreement, he said.
