Shootouts over gold mine kill 30 in Papua New Guinea

A series of shootouts between rival tribes over a disputed gold mine has left at least 30 people dead in Papua New Guinea, police said on Monday.

Security forces have been given emergency powers to stop the fighting – including the use of “lethal force” – according to the country’s police commissioner.

Alcohol sales have been banned and an overnight curfew is in place, he added.

Unrest had been brewing near the Porgera gold mine in the country’s central highlands ever since members of the Sakar clan settled on land owned by their rivals, the Piande, sometime in August.

Police say that on Sunday alone, more than 300 shots were fired by tribesmen, after peace talks between the clans had failed.

“This deteriorating situation has been caused by illegal miners and settlers who are using violence to terrorise local communities and victimise traditional landowners,” said Papua New Guinea’s police commissioner David Manning.

“Put simply, if you raise a weapon in a public place or to threaten another person, you will be shot,” he added.

There were reports in local media that the Canadian-owned mine – the second largest in Papua New Guinea – was briefly forced to cease operations as the fighting intensified.

Buildings were set on fire and schools, hospitals and government offices in the region have been closed, according to the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier.

Tribal conflicts are a frequent occurrence in Papua New Guinea’s highlands, but an influx of automatic weapons has “turbocharged” the most recent bout of violence, according to police.

The Porgera gold mine once accounted for around 10 percent of Papua New Guinea’s yearly export earnings, but tribal violence and a slow government takeover have stalled production in recent years.

A witness, speaking to Radio New Zealand, described the recent levels of violence as “unprecedented”.

At least 26 people were killed, including 16 children, when three villages in East Sepik province were attacked earlier this year.

In 2022, gunfights between rival clans living near the mine killed at least 17 people.

Security teams have been posted along the highway leading to the mine, using loudhailers to broadcast messages of peace.

Pope Francis urged Papua New Guinea to “stop the spiral” of violence during a visit earlier this month.

“It is my particular hope that tribal violence will come to an end,” he said.

“It causes many victims, prevents people from living in peace and hinders development.”

The BBC has reached out to PNG Police for comment.