Papuans oppose Highlands - Port Moresby Highway

People of the Central and Gulf provinces are against the national government’s decision to build a highway that will link the Highlands and Momase regions to the Southern Region.

In a rally led by Papuan separatist and former parliamentarian, Dame Josephine Abaijah, people from the provinces expressed their concerns over the potential negative impacts the highway may have on their provinces, should the government decide to go ahead with its construction.

This proposed highway falls under the government’s national roads project which the O’Neill- Dion government wants to have implemented before the next general elections.

However, news of the proposed highway is not being received well by locals.

The proposed highway will connect Wau in the Morobe province to East Kerema at one end of the road network, while the over, will link the Southern Highlands to Kikori and Baimuru in West Kerema.

Both proposed highways will converge at Bereina in the Central province and lead onto Port Moresby.