By Mortimer Yangharry
It is undoubtedly rare for a businessman in Enga Province to facilitate and mediate for peace in the society but Cr. Paul Kurai is an exemplary community leader who has not deserted his province due to the catastrophic consequences of tribal fights but remained neutral and loyal in order to establish lasting peace in tribal warfare ravaged communities in the province.
Cr.Paul Kurai has been on the ground advocating for peace to resettle the factions involved in one of the bloodiest tribal warfare that shut down an entire district from government services.
After more than 10 months of killing, burning down of villages and government services using high powered firearms, the Akol clan of the Sakalin Tribe and the Komban clan of the Malipin Tribe from the Ambum LLG of the Kompiam Ambum Open Electorate, for the first time since the tribal warfare broke out last year, met in front of government officials and security forces yesterday at the Wabag Police Station in the heart of the provincial capital to establish lasting peace once and for all.
Commander Superintendent George Kakas, Provincial Law and Order Director Mr.Nelson Leia, Chief Peace Negotiator Cr. Akoman Yongan, security personnel of the PNGDF and police plus senior officials from the Enga Provincial Administration.
Warring leaders from both the warring factions sincerely acknowledged the tireless effort of philanthropist Cr.Paul Kurai in spearheading this ceasefire along with tribal leaders in former Wabag Rural LLG President Koni Kepakan and the peace mediation team from the Operation Mekim Save (OMS) Provincial Law and Order Committee, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and the Enga Provincial Police Commander Superintendent George Kakas.
Both warring factions agreed to make peace with further negotiations to go on the ground for three (3) weeks before they meet again on May 18, 2023 to find possible peace resolutions and recommendations in how best to address the complex issues raised separately by the warring factions.
Cr.Paul Kurai urged both factions to work together with the government and wholeheartedly cooperate with the peace mediation process.
Kurai plead with the people to stop tribal fighting as it was the people who suffered and died and not any politicians or educated elites who instigate problems during election periods.
He distributed 100 cartons of coke plus 400 plastics of scones to feed the warring factions before they were escorted off by the security forces to their respective areas later in the afternoon yesterday.
The Kompiam Ambum political turmoil is a complicated and sensitive issue with more tribes and clans involved which Kurai has taken the mammoth task since last year to visit these warring tribes and clans in person talking to them to find solutions to establish lasting peace.
Earlier this year, the spill over of the political turmoil in Kompiam Ambum badly affected the Wabag Open Electorate with 5 innocent lives of Kurai’s Kamanuwan clan shot dead and 11 school children kidnapped but were returned safely due to the quick intervention by the security forces on the ground.
The longest serving councillor in the history of Enga politics bravely told the people who gathered not to support tribes and clans who are involved in tribal fights as it is the people who will suffer with women and children scattered all over the place.
The Provincial Police Commander Superintendent George Kakas urged both factions to lay down their arms and work alongside the government for the next three weeks before they meet again in the middle of next month to further deliberate on possible ways to find amicable solutions in establishing lasting peace in the affected communities.
