Enuma

-of few words and quick action

By Sam Vulum

Amid all the division and confusion in the Papua New Guinea Defence Force following the sacking of former commander Brigadier-General Jerry Singirok, one man stood out.

He was Singirok’s henchman Major Walter Enuma, a hero among soldiers and the public during the heat of the crisis.

Enuma was the commander of operation Rausiw Kwik (remove quickly) which was responsible for the successful deportation of Sandline International mercenaries on March 23. Following the deportation, Enuma declared himself in control of the country’s armed forces and warned there would be confrontation if there was any attempt to disarm them. Enuma told reporters that he and the entire 4600-strong PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) were loyal to Singirok who had to be reinstated to avoid “a chaotic situation”.

He was speaking from the grounds of PNG’s military headquarters in Port Moresby, the Murray Barracks, only hours after a car belonging to Colonel Fred Aikung, appointed by Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan as acting military commander, had been fire-bombed. The car was left outside the barracks as a clear warning of looming trouble. Aikung was replaced after only days in office by chief-of-staff Colonel Jack Tuat as acting commander.

Enuma said a party of soldiers had been sent by Sir Julius to “neutralise” him, but the soldiers had been disarmed and were now loyal to Singirok. Enuma accused Aikung of corruption and said no defence force personnel were taking orders from him.

“I decided to take a strong stand on the very important issue of corruption and of national security,” he said. Asked if he was

in command, Enuma, surrounded by sol diers, replied: “I am in control, we are in control. The general is not in control because he has stepped aside,” he said, referring to Singirok who stpod down after being dismissed by Sir Julius.

“The reason I am in control is because of the character of the situation that has developed. There is no way the guys in the headquarters have control of the troops.”

Enuma said he had personally ordered and supervised the departure of about 50 of the remaining mercenaries.

The mercenaries were escorted aboard of chartered jet and flown out of Port Moresby after three days of rioting, looting and street demonstrations. Enuma may be a man of few words - but his actions have helped turn a nation on its head. Known as Major Mad Eyes by some of his men for his penetrating gaze, Enuma has emerged as a major player in the PNG political cri sis. When Singirok said that he had accept ed his sacking by the government, the cri sis appeared to be under control. However, a resolute Enuma appeared on local televi sion that night saying he was in charge of an operation directed by Singirok to expel the mercenaries - an order which he ful filled. Whether Enuma has more sinister designs or is simply stepping into the breach to control an increasingly unruly army is unclear. However, his record sug gests that Enuma is more interested in order than anarchy. When he was in charge of the army’s South Bougainville forces in

Enuma ... “I am in control”

Enuma-of few words and quick action

1994 and 1995 he helped restore a sem blance of peace and order unseen in the area since the secessionist conflict began nine years ago.

He co-operated with traditional lead ers and invited the Foundation for Law, Order and Justice to run conflict resolu tion courses which were attended by sol diers, rebel fighters and military-backed

resistance fighters.

He also established a good relation ship with the then rebel leader of south ern Bougainville, Paul Bobby.

In 1992, Enuma led successful strikes

deep into Bougainville Revolutionary

Army territory with a contingent of only five men to show the rebels that the army could strike anywhere.

Despite many rebels being killed he was respected by the BRA for not being a murderer but a “disciplined soldier of war”, the report said. Major Enuma or Ace was one of a gang of five that mas terminded and executed the 10-day mutiny. For the five, in the proper mili tary language, it was Mission Accomplished.

They forced the revocation of the Sandline International contract, the deportation of Sandline’s 70 mercenar ies, the setting up of a commission of inquiry to investigate any wrongdoing in the Sandline contract and eventually, the removal, of Sir Julius, Chris Haiveta and

Mathias Ijape.

The identities of the other members of the gang are Renegade (Singirok), Terminator (Corporal Allen), Skull (Captain Belden Nama) and Eagle (Major Gilbert Toropo, head of the Special Force Unit that was trained in Wewak by the mercenaries). ■