Papua New Guinea Has Declared A Nine-Month State Of Emergency

Protesters in Mendi call for prime minister Peter O’Neill to resign Photograph: Supplied

CNN: Papua New Guinea declares 9-month state of emergency due to riots

(CNN)The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea has declared a nine-month state of emergency in the country's rugged Southern Highlands province in response to several days of riots.

The small resource-rich Pacific nation, which is due to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in November, has long struggled with violence and lawlessness.

The latest outbreak of unrest comes amid ongoing reconstruction efforts following a devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck the island's interior in February this year.

Protestors took to the streets in Mendi, the capital of the Southern Highlands province, following a court ruling on Thursday that upheld the election of the regional governor William Powi, amid accusations of vote rigging, according to local media.

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WNU Editor: There are now growing fears of a civil war .... 'Pushing for civil war': fears riots could turn into widespread conflict in PNG (Kate Lyons, The Guardian).

More News On Papua New Guinea Declaring A Nine-Month State Of Emergency

State of emergency declared in Papua New Guinea after riots -- The Guardian/Reuters
State of emergency: Rioters torch plane at island airport (PHOTOS) -- RT
State of Emergency Declared in Papua New Guinea -- VOA
Armed protesters block access, burn equipment at PNG's biggest resources project -- ABC News Online
Plane, governor’s house torched in PNG violence -- Punch