Warring tribes in Papua New Guinea sign ceasefire deal

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

A temporary ceasefire was negotiated in Papua New Guinea to address ongoing revenge killings in the country’s remote highlands.

Background:

The central Enga province has experienced years of tit-for-tat fighting, with a significant escalation in recent months.
The ceasefire involves two main factions, the Yopo Alliance and the Palinau Alliance, which met in the capital, Port Moresby, to finalize a three-month ceasefire agreement.
The agreement mandates both factions to lay down arms and halt all forms of hostility.

Historical Context:

Clashes between highland clans in Papua New Guinea have a centuries-old history. However, the recent violence has been exacerbated by the introduction of mercenaries and automatic weapons, intensifying the cycle of violence.

Papua New Guinea:

Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and its offshore islands in Melanesia (a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia).
Officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, it shares its only land border with Indonesia to the west and it is directly adjacent to Australia to the south and the Solomon Islands to the east.
Its capital, located along its southeastern coast, is Port Moresby.
The country is the world’s third largest island country, with an area of 462,840 km2 (178,700 sq mi).
Enga Province:
- Enga is one of the provinces in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
- Enga is geographically situated in the northern region of Papua New Guinea and was separated from the adjacent Western Highlands at the time of national independence in 1975.
- The majority ethnic group are Engans.

Source: TH