Papua New Guinea offers cash for guns as amnesty opens to combat escalating tribal violence

Papua New Guinea has asked residents to surrender illegal firearms in a bid to remove tens of thousands of weapons from the country, as it grapples with escalating violence and tribal fighting in the Highlands region.The police minister, Sir John Pundari, said the national gun amnesty and buyback scheme started on 27 February and it would run until late August.“This is not just a police operation. It is a national movement for peace,” Pundari said in Enga in February.Citizens can voluntarily surrender illegal weapons without penalty in exchange for cash payments under the buyback scheme, Pundari said.The government did not specify how much it will pay for illegal weapons but said it will vary from province to province. In some cases, it may include cash incentives and support provided to people who wish to start agriculture businesses.“If this program prevents even one massacre, it is not a reward, it is a strategic investment in human life,” he said.The amnesty forms part of a broader push by the government to restore law and order, including tougher penalties for the possession of illegal guns. While gun ownership is legal in Papua New Guinea, weapons must be registered and licensed by police.A report by the former Papua New Guinea defence force commander Jerry Singirok, prepared for the UN in 2025, estimates there are about 100,000 illegal guns in PNG. Only about 12% of small arms in PNG are legally licensed and registered, according to a 2025 UNDP report.“Most of these guns were paid for by people outside the communities and handed to young men to cause fear and chaos,” the prime minister, James Marape, said in a statement in January.“This is destroying families, villages and the future of our people.”Marape warned of strong penalties for those who fail to hand in guns during the amnesty period.“We will embrace you during the amnesty period, but once it ends, enforcement will be firm and uncompromising,” he said.The government wants the troubled Highlands region – stretching across the centre of the country – cleared of firearms this year, ahead of national elections scheduled for 2027, which historically results in a rise in violence.Violence in the Highlands has intensified in recent years, fuelled by land disputes, longstanding tribal rivalries, political tensions and a lack of economic opportunities.While tribal fighting has long been part of life in parts of PNG, conflicts have become increasingly deadly as high-powered firearms and explosives such as hand grenades have become more readily available.Traditional disputes that were once fought with basic weapons and resolved through mediation now result in mass casualties, largely due to the proliferation of guns.Pundari said tensions remained high in the Highlands and more engagement with tribal leaders, churches and community groups was essential to address violence.“Stabilising Enga is critical not only for local communities, but for the Highlands Highway corridor, where disruptions affect transport, trade and movement across the region,” he said. The corridor connects the Highlands to the coastal city of Lae.The deputy opposition leader, Keith Iduhu, criticised the gun buyback program, arguing that swapping illegal guns for business funding undermines crime laws and instead urged the firearms crisis to be addressed through structural reform and law-and-order measures.Singirok said while the amnesty is an important step, it is only a temporary measure. He warned that without stronger laws and stricter enforcement, even programs like the national gun amnesty and buyback would have limited impact.“Lasting reforms in legislation, enforcement, and oversight are necessary to ensure that firearms do not continue to endanger communities.”