Pope Francis urged Papua New Guinea on Saturday to “stop the spiral” of tribal violence that has killed untold numbers of people and displaced tens of thousands more while saying the country’s natural resources must benefit “the entire community”.
“It is my particular hope that tribal violence will come to an end,” the pontiff told a gathering of politicians, diplomats and civic leaders on the first full day of a visit to the South Pacific nation.
“It causes many victims, prevents people from living in peace and hinders development.”
There are few reliable estimates about the number of people who have died during decades of tribal unrest between dozens of clans.
But UN agencies estimate that about 100,000 people have been displaced by the violence, which has intensified in recent years.