SUMMARY

The Unjamap (also spelt Unjumap, Ujumap etc.) is a Papua New Guinean tribe living in the Southern Highlands region. The tribe lives in close proximity of the Mendi River, in a relatively densely populated area, home to a large number of tribes. Much of the Unjamap population, estimated at 1000, live in a large village also known as Unjamap and its surrounding settlements, in the close vicinity of the town, and provincial capital, of Mendi.

The Unjamap mainly practice various forms of agriculture with gardening and pig-farming playing an important part in the overall livelihood and traditions of the tribe. Further, the Unjamap, like other tribes of the Mendi Valley, follow a highly complex system of rivalries and alliances with various clans and tribes inhabiting the area. However, until the 1990s, these rivalries rarely turned into significant violence, particularly because of a lack of weaponry. This situation did change during the 1990s, as a hydrocarbon discovery in the area, combined with a weak state marred by electoral violence, led to the creation of a black market in weapons.

The Unjamap tribe has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.