Politics At least 26 dead in massacres in Papua New Guinea

According to UN reports, at least 26 people have been murdered in attacks on three villages in northern Papua New Guinea. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, announced that 16 children were among the victims. The violence in the province of East Sepik was triggered by disputes over land and water rights. "I am appalled by the shocking outbreak of deadly violence in Papua New Guinea," Türk wrote.

The number of dead could rise to more than 50, as the authorities were still searching for missing persons, it said. Around 200 people are on the run after their homes were burned down. The massacres took place on July 16 and 18.

Attack with spears and axes

A group of 33 men from neighboring villages are believed to be responsible, who attacked their victims at dawn with firearms, spears, knives and axes, among other things, wrote the newspaper "The National", citing local police. Many women and children had previously been raped.

One survivor said: "The attack came as a surprise and we were completely helpless." The residents had run in all directions and some had tried to flee on canoes. "Some were hit by spears and fell into the river."

Türk called on the responsible authorities to "immediately carry out impartial and transparent investigations and ensure that those responsible are held accountable". The affected families must also receive compensation and protection from future attacks.

Tribal warfare is not uncommon

It was the second serious outbreak of violence in the island state. More than 50 people were killed in a violent tribal feud in the highlands in February. The incident occurred in the province of Enga, more than 580 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby.

The tropical island of Papua New Guinea lies to the north of Australia. It is wild and partly unexplored. Ten million inhabitants live in the Commonwealth country, most of them in abject poverty - despite rich deposits of raw materials such as oil, gas and gold. Tribal wars between indigenous groups have been going on for a long time, especially in the highlands. Mutual accusations are followed by attacks, which are then often met with retaliatory strikes.