Current:Home > MarketsRiots in Papua New Guinea’s 2 biggest cities reportedly leave 15 dead -FinTechWorld
Riots in Papua New Guinea’s 2 biggest cities reportedly leave 15 dead
View
Date:2025-04-17 13:54:41
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) — The Papua New Guinea government worked to restore order Thursday after at least 15 people were reportedly killed during rioting and looting that left the country’s two biggest cities in flames.
The unrest began in the capital, Port Moresby, on Wednesday after hundreds of police officers, soldiers, prison staff and public servants walked off their jobs in protest over a pay dispute.
The Papua New Guinea government attributed the pay cut to an administrative glitch.
Similar riots also caused damage in Lae, the second-biggest city in the southwestern Pacific country. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that at least 15 people died in Port Moresby and Lae.
An additional 180 defense personnel flew into Port Moresby on Thursday.
Tensions in the country have risen amid high unemployment and increased living costs.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said Port Moresby was “under stress and duress” but that violence had eased.
“Police were not at work yesterday in the city and people resorted to lawlessness — not all people, but in certain segments of our city,” Marape said in a news conference on Thursday. ”(The) situation report as of this morning shows tension in the city has subsided.”
Many shops and banking services were closed Thursday as business owners repaired damage.
Papua New Guinea is a diverse, developing nation of mostly subsistence farmers where some 800 languages are spoken. It is in a strategically important part of the South Pacific. With 10 million people, it the most populous South Pacific nation after Australia, which is home to 26 million.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appealed for calm. He said his government had not received any requests for help from its closest neighbor.
Papua New Guinea and Australia last month signed a bilateral security pact.
“Our high commission in Port Moresby are keeping a very close eye on what is occurring there, making sure Australians are looked after,” Albanese told reporters Thursday.
Papua New Guinea struggles to contain escalating tribal violence and civil unrest in remote regions and has a long-term aim to increase its police numbers from 6,000 officers to 26,000.
veryGood! (5746)
Related
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- Travis Scott not criminally liable for Astroworld Festival deaths, grand jury finds
- How the Trump Administration’s Climate Denial Left Its Mark on The Arctic Council
- Adding Batteries to Existing Rooftop Solar Could Qualify for 30 Percent Tax Credit
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- More Than 100 Cities Worldwide Now Powered Primarily by Renewable Energy
- The Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Climate Change. Is it Ready to Decide Which Courts Have Jurisdiction?
- You Might’ve Missed This Euphoria Star’s Cameo on The Idol Premiere
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- Princess Eugenie Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby No. 2 With Husband Jack Brooksbank
Ranking
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Bling Empire's Anna Shay Dead at 62 After Stroke
- Pence meets with Zelenskyy in Ukraine in surprise trip
- A Kentucky Power Plant’s Demise Signals a Reckoning for Coal
- Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
- Activists Gird for a Bigger Battle Over Oil and Fumes from a Port City’s Tank Farms
- Oil Giants See a Future in Offshore Wind Power. Their Suppliers Are Investing, Too.
- In Remote Town in Mali, Africa’s Climate Change Future is Now
Recommendation
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
House Votes to Block Trump from Using Clean Energy Funds to Back Fossil Fuels Project
NFL suspends 4 players for gambling violations
Activists Gird for a Bigger Battle Over Oil and Fumes from a Port City’s Tank Farms
McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
Oil Giants See a Future in Offshore Wind Power. Their Suppliers Are Investing, Too.
A Most ‘Sustainable’ Vineyard in a ‘Completely Unsustainable’ Year
Idaho Murder Case: Ethan Chapin's Mom Shares How Family Is Coping After His Death