Porgera in Chaos.Not the Mine

Calling for Security Forces in Porgera: Protect the People, Not the Mine

For decades, the Porgera Valley in Enga Province has been both a place of immense natural wealth and deep human suffering. While the Porgera Gold Mine has produced billions of kina worth of gold, the people of Porgera have too often been left to live in fear — not of poverty alone, but of the violence that has gripped their communities.

Today, the call for the deployment of security forces in Porgera must be understood for what it truly is: a plea for the protection of citizens, not a defense of corporate interests.

A Community Under Siege

Porgera’s ongoing tribal conflicts and the rise of warlords have created a humanitarian crisis. Armed groups have terrorized villages, destroyed homes, and displaced countless families. Ordinary citizens — women, children, and the elderly — have borne the brunt of this violence. Schools have closed, trade has stopped, and public infrastructure lies in ruins.

For too long, government attention has focused primarily on safeguarding mining operations, rather than addressing the breakdown of law and order that devastates the lives of the people around the mine. This imbalance has eroded trust between the community, the state, and the mine itself.

A Call for People-Centered Security

The people of Porgera are not asking for the protection of company property. They are asking for safety, justice, and peace — the fundamental rights guaranteed under Papua New Guinea’s Constitution.

Security forces, whether from the National Government or the Enga Provincial Government, must be deployed with a clear humanitarian mandate:

To disarm and dismantle armed groups;

To protect unarmed civilians in affected areas;

To restore basic government services; and

To rebuild confidence in law enforcement institutions.

Their mission should be grounded in human rights principles, transparency, and accountability — not in the defense of corporate assets.

Learning from the Past

Previous deployments to Porgera were often tied to the protection of the mine, not the community. This has created resentment and mistrust. There have been allegations of human rights abuses by security personnel, which only deepened divisions and further marginalized local people.

This time must be different. Security forces must operate under clear rules of engagement that prioritize civilian protection and conflict resolution, not intimidation or suppression.

The Role of Government and Community Leaders

Both the National Government and the Enga Provincial Government have a moral and constitutional duty to protect their citizens. They must listen to local leaders, churches, women’s groups, and youth representatives to design a peace and security strategy that addresses the root causes of violence — including land disputes, lack of employment, and political manipulation.

Partnerships between government, traditional authorities, and civil society can help create a more stable and just Porgera. The presence of security forces should be the beginning of peacebuilding, not the end of it.

Conclusion: Putting People First

The situation in Porgera is not just a security issue — it is a human issue. The lives of the people must come before the profits of the mine. Deploying security forces should aim to protect communities, restore law and order, and lay the foundation for lasting peace.

Only when the citizens of Porgera can live without fear can the region — and the nation — truly prosper.