ON THIS DAY IN OUR HISTORY: Woman’s tongue cut out in tribal conflict

SEVEN men and three women died in tribal fighting that led to the declaration of the entire Unggai Bena electorate in the Eastern Highlands as a battle zone yesterday.

One of the women had her tongue cut out.

She and the other two women died when members of the Gohisipa and Rintepe clans fought over the land on Monday.

The Eastern Highlands Provincial Peace and Order Committee met in Goroka yesterday and declared the entire electorate a battle zone for three months.

Eastern Highlands Premier Walter Nombe, who is the chairman of the committee, said all the fighting took place in the upper and lower Bena areas.

They all arose as a result of land disputes.

Some of the fights have been “on and off” for some time, but others only started on Monday.

Mr Nombe said the zone had to be declared because when the police were in the area, people tended to be quiet, but after they withdrew, fighting broke out again.

The prime minister, who hails from Unggai, warned that no government services would be provided in the battle zones until the fighting stopped.

Anyone found carrying offensive weapons or congregating in public places would be arrested.

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