UN withdraws from PNG Highlands amid riots

The United Nations has withdrawn staff from Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands amid continuing civil unrest in the region.

The United Nations has pulled staff from Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands as civil unrest continues to stir in the province.

The country's government declared a state of emergency and sent in troops after armed crowds set fire to a plane, looted a warehouse and torched government buildings last week.

The demonstrators have been angered by the failure of a legal challenge by a candidate against the result of gubernatorial elections last year.

The situation escalated over the weekend as several hundred protesters, reportedly with weapons, took to the streets of the provincial capital Mendi calling for Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to resign.

Mr O'Neill has since announced he will visit the region on Wednesday.

Due to host the APEC summit this year, PNG's government has been keen to resolve the tension quickly and last week said the plans would not be affected.

However, the United Nations last week relocated eighteen staff providing aid after February's 7.5-magnitude earthquake from Mendi to Mount Hagen, about 100 kilometres away, the organisations local branch confirmed on social media.

Staff plan to return once the situation calms.

Mr O'Neill on Friday declared a nine-month state of emergency in the Southern Highlands, and suspended its government for the duration, with more than 100 Defence Force soldiers arriving since.

Many communities in the area are still receiving assistance after quake, which killed 100 people.


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Source: AAP


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