Factions threaten road closure
Quelle: Post Courier, 15.4.2011
FACTIONS in the south of Bougainville, mainly in the Buin area, who have been fighting since 2005 with the Mekamui are going to set up a main roadblock again until the ABG supports them with funds for reconciliation among themselves.
Two factions, the Peace Struggling Force (PSF) commander Michael Niaka and Michael Maikei, representing the Mekamui, fronted up in the Post-Courier office in Buka to express their disappointment about the ABG. A total of 15 fighters, including their paramount chiefs 11 PSF and four Mekamui, were in Buka for six weeks awaiting the government’s response but were unsuccessful.
And the factions joining hands with Mekamui are now going to set up a roadblock in the Leulo pass, which has been recently cleared after a landslide blocked it. The road will remain blocked until the government pays them to reconciliate.
“We went to see the president, the peace minister, the peace officer and the CEO and there is no response. We waited with hunger and thirst for six weeks and we have run into bills from business houses in which we were getting accommodation and little food from.
“In our hearts, we really want peace once and for all and the current government has to understand that we were the factions that always uphold peace, law and order, and for us to be given no as an answer, that means there will be no reconciliation, we feel both sad and frustrated,” Mr Niaka said.
All these trouble happened after the Tonu raid in 2006. The raid had a blessings from the Bougainville Executive Council where police and special constables comprising ex-combatants went in to apprehend Noah Musingku, but failed in the attempt but two Buin freedom fighters were seriously wounded and one died. “We are now withdrawing today (Friday) to go back to Bin after the government said to fix our transport fares,” he said. |
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