The United Nations Papua New Guinea office has strongly condemned the recent brutal rapes and killings of women and children in East Sepik’s Angoram.
The UN, in a statement called on the local authorities to, without delay, bring the perpetrators to justice.
People were reportedly killed, including children and infants, women and girls raped and houses burnt to the ground in a spate of violence that gripped the Sepik River villages of Tamara, Tambari and Agrumara, beginning on 16 July.
Expressing deep shock and grief, UN resident coordinator Richard Howard said the latest atrocities were “a profound violation of human rights and dignity”.
“This heinous crime is an affront to our shared humanity,” Howard said.
“The brutalisation of innocent villagers, especially the sexual violence against women and girls, is utterly unacceptable.”
Howard is the highest UN representative in Papua New Guinea.
He said it was imperative that the perpetrators were held accountable, and justice was served for the victims and their families.
United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) PNG representative Angela Kearney said the drama was indicative of a disturbing trend of tribal violence aimed at the most vulnerable, particularly women and children.
“What happened in East Sepik strikes at the heart of what we stand against — blatant disregard for life and dignity, particularly of the most defenceless among us,” Kearney said.
The UN’s first priority is to ensure survivors are protected from further harm and to provide comprehensive psychosocial support to mitigate the risk of lasting mental trauma.
Howard said the UN stands in solidarity with the affected communities and reinforced his call for swift action from law enforcement agencies to investigate, identify and charge the perpetrators.
“We look forward to working with the Government of Papua New Guinea and other partners to ensure the survivors receive the necessary support, such atrocities do not go unpunished, and underlying conditions in the affected communities are addressed so that these atrocities are prevented in the future,” Howard said.
East Sepik acting police commander James Baugen and senior health officials visited the crime scene last weekend.
Baugen said two locals found at the site were told to leave immediately. The other villagers had fled.
The police commander also reported sightings of mutilated bodies, including infants and children.
He said due to the state of the corpses, proper burial was unlikely.
Local authorities believed that bodies left at a nearby lake were taken away by crocodiles.
“Last Tuesday at around 4am, 33 men from (three villages named) armed with guns, wire catapult, spears, knives and axes entered Agrumara and killed Caspar Paio and his four-year-old son and another man, Norbert Mangambi,” PPC Baugen said.
“On Thursday (18 July), the same group went to Tambari village at around 5am while everyone was asleep, some in makeshift shelters. (The killing spree continued, resulting in) the murder of eight adults, three men and five women, and 13 children aged between six and 16 years old, and the burning down of 30 houses,” he said.
A survivor said: “It was a surprise attack and we were helpless.
“Women and children escaped in all direction when gunshots were heard. Some were shot and beheaded with bush knives.
“We fled on canoes and they came after us; some were speared in their canoes and fell into the river.”
A women recalled: “I floated on a log for about three hours before arriving at Magendo; as I was floating, I could hear women wailing in pain, children crying out. I was lucky the men didn’t see me.
“Three of my sisters were raped but escaped while another seven are missing. Three mothers with infants were killed and the babies taken away,” she said.
PPC Baugen said East Sepik was experiencing a fuel shortage but, with some assistance, police operations would begin today.
The victims and survivors were at the care centre in Angoram station.
