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‘Male babies killed to stop fights’
WOMEN in a rural part of Eastern Highlands province, fed up with tribal fighting in their area, decided to kill
all male babies born to reduce their stock so that the men will end the fighting.
The tribal fight, in the remote Gimi area of Okapa, has brought death and destruction to the people for more
than 20 years. Two women from the area revealed this experience to The National in Goroka this week.
Rona Luke and Kipiyona Belas are part of a group from the area who were brought in to attend a three-day
peace and reconciliation training in Goroka last week. They said the women decided that if they stopped
producing males, their tribe’s stock would go down and this would force the men to end the fight. “Therefore,
all the womenfolk agreed to have all male babies born killed because they have had enough of men engaging
in tribal conflicts and bringing misery to them,” they said.
Female babies born were spared. But the women could not say exactly how many babies were killed over
the period of the fight. The Salvation Army church spearheaded the training in Goroka following an initiative
by Pastor Michael Hemuno and other members of the community to end prolonged tribal conflicts in the area.
Rival tribal leaders, including women from the affected Gimi area, were identified and brought to Goroka.
They went through the intensive training conducted by senior PNG Studies students of Divine Word University (DWU).
Mrs Luke, from Agibu village in Gimi, said several women in labour were forced to kill male babies during a
10-year period. She choked back tears recalling the experience, saying it was an unbearable crime but they had
to do it. She said they were forced into it as it was the only means available to them as women to bring an end
to tribal fights.
Mrs Belas, from Amosa village, said getting food was hard as husbands would keep fighting and mothers and
kids were left to fend for themselves. However, the 23-year struggle is set to end thanks to the tireless efforts
of the Salvation Army church that got leaders of 15 different warring communities to negotiate.
Coordinator for community advancement and reform enhancement (CARE) programme for the Salvation Army,
Esiah Eiho, said bringing the warring tribes together was not to force them to compromise but to show them
what benefits peaceful living would bring them.
The tribal fight in the Gimi area started in 1986 and it was triggered by some deaths blamed on sorcery.
Add : http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,460166,00.html
WOMEN in a rural part of Eastern Highlands province, fed up with tribal fighting in their area, decided to kill
all male babies born to reduce their stock so that the men will end the fighting.
The tribal fight, in the remote Gimi area of Okapa, has brought death and destruction to the people for more
than 20 years. Two women from the area revealed this experience to The National in Goroka this week.
Rona Luke and Kipiyona Belas are part of a group from the area who were brought in to attend a three-day
peace and reconciliation training in Goroka last week. They said the women decided that if they stopped
producing males, their tribe’s stock would go down and this would force the men to end the fight. “Therefore,
all the womenfolk agreed to have all male babies born killed because they have had enough of men engaging
in tribal conflicts and bringing misery to them,” they said.
Female babies born were spared. But the women could not say exactly how many babies were killed over
the period of the fight. The Salvation Army church spearheaded the training in Goroka following an initiative
by Pastor Michael Hemuno and other members of the community to end prolonged tribal conflicts in the area.
Rival tribal leaders, including women from the affected Gimi area, were identified and brought to Goroka.
They went through the intensive training conducted by senior PNG Studies students of Divine Word University (DWU).
Mrs Luke, from Agibu village in Gimi, said several women in labour were forced to kill male babies during a
10-year period. She choked back tears recalling the experience, saying it was an unbearable crime but they had
to do it. She said they were forced into it as it was the only means available to them as women to bring an end
to tribal fights.
Mrs Belas, from Amosa village, said getting food was hard as husbands would keep fighting and mothers and
kids were left to fend for themselves. However, the 23-year struggle is set to end thanks to the tireless efforts
of the Salvation Army church that got leaders of 15 different warring communities to negotiate.
Coordinator for community advancement and reform enhancement (CARE) programme for the Salvation Army,
Esiah Eiho, said bringing the warring tribes together was not to force them to compromise but to show them
what benefits peaceful living would bring them.
The tribal fight in the Gimi area started in 1986 and it was triggered by some deaths blamed on sorcery.
Add : http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,460166,00.html
