Papua New Guinea–Solomon Islands: Sorcery-accusation related violence an emerging local-level threat fuelled by social media
On 13 September, thirteen houses including a fuel depot and gardens were set ablaze in retaliation for sorcery-accusation related violence (SARV) in Makira-Ulawa Province. The Provincial Police Commander stated the arson was likely perpetrated by a relative of the victim killed in the SARV. Police reinforced their presence and urged calm while investigations proceeded. Separately, around 31 August, Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary personnel were attacked during a response call to a SARV in Sakuanam, Madang Province. Media reporting indicates villagers threw stones and other projectiles at police, injuring some officers and damaging a police vehicle. An August 2026 discussion paper from the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre identified Facebook as PNG's dominant digital public sphere but assessed the platform as neither a driver nor a deterrent of SARV. Although public discourse is predominantly anti-SARV, comment-level discourse revealed more complexity, where sorcery belief coexists with opposition to violence.
Assessment: The isolated incidents of violence are unlikely to disrupt country-wide stability in either country. However, SARV is assessed as an emerging local-level threat enabled by social media use and is very likely to increase in the near term. As the public digital space contributes to awareness creation, engagement, and community building, it will also be instrumental in delivering anti-SARV narratives by government and community organisations.
Sources: Loretta B. Manele, “Thirteen houses burnt down in East Makira, police investigate,” Island Sun, 15 September 2026; “Solomon Islands police investigate burning of 13 homes in East Makira,” RNZ, 16 September 2026; “PPC Baim condemns Sakuanam attack,” NBC, 4 September 2026; Miranda Forsyth, Anurug Chakma and Joe Barak, “Witnessing, Condemning, Debating: The Multiple Roles of Facebook in Sorcery Accusation-Related Violence in Papua New Guinea,” DevPolicy, August 2026.
