Before we get started some small print: This is (ideally) a weekly update about events in Porgera. Before we get started a few caveats: I’m not in Porgera and I’m only relying on my own knowledge of the valley and open sources. I am not a lawyer. I do my best to keep the dates straight but they may get a day off due to my being in a different time zone than Porgera. Thanks to everyone who sent me links and articles. I’m always interested in hearing more about Porgera if you have information to share. With that out of the way, let’s talk about what has happened since around roughly the 18th of December:
The post reported on 20 Dec that on 16 Dec that there was a landslip along Wangima track. Wangima is on the edge of the mine’s open cut. Luckily no one is reported to have been injured, although 15 houses were “affected”. The mines Corporate Social Responsibility team (CSR) is giving food and tents to those affected. I imagine many are thinking of Mulitaka when they respond to this landslip.
Also on the 20th, Simon Yandapake reported at the Post that the Aiyala-Nomali fight has come to an end. He writes that SOE controller Joseph Tondop was at a ceremony “where Yarip Belen of Aiyala tribes paid a total of 10 pigs and K500.00 as compensation to Mr Namo of Nomali clan yesterday at the Porgera Police station.” There is a YouTube video of Tondop’s announcement of peace, although I will note that the video ends before Belen and Namo shake hands. This is not the first time peace has been declared in this fight iirc, so I hope this peace is longer lasting than previous halts to the conflict.
A separate article records Tondop’s speech at the compensation ceremony. He promised 2 more companies of PNGDF and additional police to “come to Porgera”. In the speech he also argued that “it must be in everyone’s interest to make sure that the mining operates without disturbance so that we will benefit from it” since “this mine is the future of Porgera and the future of Papua New Guinea.” Tondop pointed out that “When the mine is operating smoothly, you will live a good life as it brings services that you will be needing such as Schools, Hospitals and even employment opportunities. The money taken from these projects are making it possible for us to put clothes on our body, food on our table, a roof over our heads and education for our children.”
Turning to the Pianda fight, Yandapake reported on 29 Dec that Pianda released two hostages “believed to be from Kandep District” who were “captured by the Pianda tribesman while they were inside the Porgera Gold mine premises looking for gold as illegal miners on Thursday” rather than killing them. This makes it sound like Pianda is actively patrolling the open pit. Yandapake reports that Councilor Tawa Kina acted for the Pianda side, and Sergeant Gordan, the Acting Police Station Commander for Porgera, was present.
The Post reported that Porgera had a quiet Christmas and New Year — to the apparent surprise of some residents, as “many fled the valley before the new years eve with anticipations that there was going to be a heated gun battle between the warring tribes on the last day of 2024.” The piece from the Post also includes a valuable aerial image of Porgera station which shows much the area has been built up.
Alex Golub 