Civil unrest

Wagambie vehemently denied any division within the police force or conflicts with the PNGDF.

He asserted that all police personnel in the National Capital District (NCD) and Central Province are actively fulfilling their duties, and there is a collaborative effort among security forces, including NCD/Central Police, Mobile Squads, and PNGDF, operating collectively under the State of Emergency.

Despite his suspension, he stressed that the security situation in the city is stable, with comprehensive security operations in progress.

This is following false reports being circulated regarding the donation of items to individuals at the Gerehu warehouse site. The company clarifies that such information is untrue.

The group says a structured process for future donations will be implemented, and visitors are advised to follow the designated procedure.

Brian Bell also advised that its warehouse is now closed. This closure follows the unfortunate events that unfolded on Wednesday, January 10th, when the warehouse suffered extensive damage due to a deliberately started fire.

President of Farmers and Settlers Association Wilson Thompson said farmers who supply garden produce to the city were impacted.

“Our urban centres were looted and buildings destroyed or burnt down. Our farmers from the highlands ship kaukau and other fresh produce by road to Lae and then to Port Moresby”, said Thompson.

Although these are not formalized or contract arrangements, the goods must reach Lae a day early to be weighed for Thursday’s ship.

Residents started hearing gunshots at 7am on Thursday, January 11th, as members of the Royal PNG Constabulary fired warning shots to deter the growing number of would-be looters.

This did not work at Kamkumung as the large crowd rushed at members of the disciplined forces and the private security firms who were assisting, throwing stones and objects at them. 

Police officers had to retreat and wait for backup. 

Units from the Royal PNG Constabulary and the PNG Defence Force responded to reports of a gathering crowd at Two-Mile at around 9am.

Backup was called when it was obvious that the crowd size was too big; over 200 men, women and children were loitering around the area.

Opportunists took advantage of a gathering of the police personnel at Unagi Oval, seeking to address discrepancies in their salaries.

While waiting for their concerns to be addressed by relevant authorities, opportunists seized the moment leading to widespread looting and burning down of shops in the city.

Two of the well-known family shops that were burnt include Stop N Shop and Papindo. Brian Bell group also lost their warehouse at Gerehu  Stage 6.

Iduhu, who has also expressed his intention to resign from government following this, said “The violence, looting, and total disregard of the rule of law was not reflected of a democracy we (pride) ourselves on upholding.

“With just over a year to go until our country marks 50 years of Independence, our country should not be experiencing civil unrest, not to mention on an unprecedented scale,” expressed MP Iduhu.

These includes Stop & Shop, as well as City Pharmacy and Hardware Haus shops across the country.

CPL PNG chief executive officer, Navin Raju expressing the gravity of the situation via social media stated: "It has been an absolutely distressing and devastating day experienced by CPL Group and Stop and Shop supermarkets in Port Moresby. Other businesses have suffered the same fate, resulting in significant losses for all the involved business houses."

The suspension, effective from 25th July 2023, will remain in place until the airline can ensure the safety and security of its operations in the area.

The decision comes after recent incidents of civil unrest in Wapenamanda, making it unsafe for PNG Air to continue its scheduled flights to the region. The indefinite suspension aims to protect the well-being of the passengers and staff.

The airline issued an apology to its valued customers and the travelling public for any inconvenience caused by this necessary measure.

Communities surrounding Kavieng town had retaliated in an attempt to cleanse the town from petty criminals, following a hold up and acts of violence on an elderly from Maiom village.

In a statement Acting Provincial Administrator, Moses Taram said a letter has been sent to the National Pandemic Controller requesting for the implementation of curfew in the province.