Papua New GuineaKey figures
Who is fighting
Highland clans and tribal militias
- Clans in Enga (e.g. Pulumani and Kulapi landowners at Porgera; Makol and Makol Tap at Laiagam; Ambulin, Sikin and allied clans at Wapenamanda)
- Clans in Hela and Southern Highlands
- Hired gunmen ('warlords')
- None
Papua New Guinea state
- Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary incl. the Kumul 23 tactical unit
- PNG Defence Force (call-outs in Enga and Hela)
- Provincial governments
- Australia (police and defence assistance)
- New Zealand (police assistance)
Force sizes are estimates of personnel or fighters, usually from IISS, government statements or specialist reporting; irregular forces are especially hard to count. "(reported)" marks external support that the backer disputes or has not confirmed.
Background
Inter-clan fighting over land, pigs, women and revenge is traditional in the Highlands, but since independence in 1975 — and sharply since the 2017 and 2022 elections — it has escalated into gun battles involving mercenaries and military-style weapons. A UN statement in February 2024 noted conflicts among 17 tribal groups in Enga had escalated since the 2022 election, and a single ambush in Wapenamanda on 18 February 2024 killed at least 49 people, the deadliest incident on record. Hela Province saw massacres in 2019 (Karida, 16+ killed) and repeated flare-ups; administrators note the province of 400,000 is policed by under 60 officers.
The government responded with a six-month gun amnesty (limited success), 2025 anti-terrorism legislation and the creation of the Kumul 23 police tactical unit. At Porgera, Enga, where the reopened Barrick gold mine attracts illegal miners and unresolved relocation claims, violence between clans, illegal miners and police is chronic: in late September 2026 at least eight people were killed when Kumul 23 responded to clan fighting that police say had already killed nine; locals say the unit burned villages and fired into a crowd, which police deny. ACLED recorded a collapsed peace ceremony and three killings between the Makol and Makol Tap clans at Laiagam in June 2026. Australia's travel advice cites tribal violence across the Highlands, and New Zealand cancelled a NZ$6.7m power project in Wapenamanda in February 2026 because of ongoing violence. Comprehensive casualty data do not exist; ACLED and local media are the only systematic sources.
Recent developments
- 13 October 2026RNZ Pacific reports eight dead in the September Porgera violence, including a 16-year-old student; police deny Kumul 23 responsibility and say two armed men were killed and 24 arrested. source ↗
- 23 September 2026Clan fighting at Porgera: police say opposing clansmen killed nine people and destroyed houses before the Kumul 23 operation. source ↗
- 10 June 2026ACLED records the collapse of a customary peace ceremony at Laiagam, Enga, followed by three killings including a bystander. source ↗
- 2 February 2026New Zealand pulls out of a power project in Wapenamanda District, Enga, citing ongoing violence; Governor Peter Ipatas blames illegal weapons and weak policing. source ↗
Timeline
- 8 July 2019Karida massacre in Hela: at least 16 killed in retaliation for an earlier attack; 24 dead over three days.
- 4 July 2022National election triggers months of violence in Enga and the Highlands; guns proliferate.
- 18 February 2024Ambush near Wapenamanda, Enga, kills at least 49; UN calls for urgent measures.
- 1 June 2025Anti-terrorism laws and the Kumul 23 police tactical unit with 'shoot to kill' powers introduced; a six-month gun amnesty ends with limited results.
- 2 February 2026New Zealand cancels a NZ$6.7m hydropower project in Wapenamanda because of ongoing violence around the site.
- 9 June 2026Peace ceremony between the Makol and Makol Tap clans at Laiagam collapses; three killed in two days.
- 23 September 2026Kumul 23 operation at Porgera after clan fighting: at least eight killed by local count, four villages reportedly razed.
Casualties and displacement in detail
| Measure | Low | High | What the figure covers · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total killed (cumulative) | – | – | No cumulative count exists; individual massacres include at least 49 killed at Wapenamanda (Feb 2024), 24 in Hela over three days (2019) and 8–17 at Porgera (Sept 2026). en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Combatants killed | – | – | Not applicable; police casualties are not systematically reported. |
| Civilians killed | – | – | Most victims are clan members or bystanders; no civilian/combatant distinction is recorded. |
| Wounded | – | – | Not recorded. |
| Deaths in the last 12 months | 20 | – | Lower bound from documented incidents only: 8 killed at Porgera (local count, Sept 2026) plus 9 killed by opposing clans beforehand (police account) and 3 at Laiagam (June 2026). Many fights in Hela and Southern Highlands go unreported; the true figure is almost certainly higher. asiapacificreport.nz ↗ |
| Internally displaced | – | – | Thousands displaced episodically (e.g. villages razed at Porgera, Sept 2026); no national figure. asiapacificreport.nz ↗ |
| Refugees abroad | – | – | Not applicable. |
Intensity classification: No agency publishes an annual death toll. Documented 2026 incidents in Enga Province alone include at least 17 deaths at Porgera in September (8 reported by the district administrator; police say opposing clans had killed 9 beforehand) and 3 at Laiagam in June (ACLED); the February 2024 Wapenamanda ambush killed at least 49. The threshold of 25 deaths in 12 months is probably met but could not be verified from published tallies — treat as provisional..
Countries affected
Frequently asked questions
Who is fighting in the Papua New Guinea — Highlands tribal violence?
Highland clans and tribal militias (Clans in Enga (e.g. Pulumani and Kulapi landowners at Porgera; Makol and Makol Tap at Laiagam; Ambulin, Sikin and allied clans at Wapenamanda), Clans in Hela and Southern Highlands, Hired gunmen ('warlords')), supported by None; against Papua New Guinea state (Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary incl. the Kumul 23 tactical unit, PNG Defence Force (call-outs in Enga and Hela), Provincial governments), supported by Australia (police and defence assistance), New Zealand (police assistance).
Is the Papua New Guinea — Highlands tribal violence still ongoing in 2026?
Status as of 19 October 2026: Active fighting — Clan warfare in Papua New Guinea's Highlands — above all Enga, Hela and Southern Highlands provinces — has become far deadlier since the 2022 elections as high-powered firearms and hired 'warlords' replaced bows and spears. Massacres such as the February 2024 Wapenamanda ambush (49+ dead) prompted a UN appeal, new anti-terrorism laws and an elite police unit, Kumul 23, with shoot-to-kill powers, whose September 2026 operation at the Porgera gold mine left eight people dead by local count. Fighting around mining leases, land and election disputes continues to displace communities and drove New Zealand to abandon a power project in Enga in 2026.
When did it start?
The current phase began on 1 July 2022, but the underlying conflict dates back to 1975 — 4 years, 3 months ago.
Sources
- Asia Pacific Report / RNZ Pacific — Eight dead in September violence at Porgera (Oct 2026) asiapacificreport.nz
- ACLED Asia-Pacific Overview July 2026 (Enga) acleddata.com
- OHCHR — UN calls for measures to address tribal violence in PNG (Feb 2024) ohchr.org
- Wikipedia — February 2024 Enga Province massacre en.wikipedia.org
- Smartraveller — Papua New Guinea travel advice smartraveller.gov.au
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Glostats. (2026). Papua New Guinea — Highlands tribal violence (2026). Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://glostats.com/conflicts/papua-new-guinea-tribal-violence/<a href="https://glostats.com/conflicts/papua-new-guinea-tribal-violence/">Papua New Guinea — Highlands tribal violence (2026)</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
This page summarises publicly available reporting and does not take sides. Casualty and force figures are estimates compiled on 19 October 2026; see each figure's source for its method and date. Page generated 2026-10-19. How this tracker works.