Jakarta, Jubi – The National Police Headquarters has changed the operation of the Nemangkawi Task Force to the Cartenz Peace Operation, which will start operating at the end of January 2022. This operation is claimed to no longer prioritize hunting down armed groups in Papua.
“The Nemangkawi Operation will end and its name will be changed to Cartenz Peace Operation,” said head of the Public Information Bureau of the National Police Brig. Gen. Ahmad Ramadhan on Monday, January 10, 2022, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
Ramadhan explained that the name change was due to the fact that the Nemangkawi Task Force officially ended on January 25, 2022.
In the Cartenz Peace Operation, Ramadhan said, the police would prioritize persuasive and preventive methods. He mentioned three functions that were the focus of the Cartenz Peace Operation, namely the intelligence function, the community development function, and the public relations function.
Regarding law enforcement actions, he said it would still be carried out in the Cartenz Peace Operation but only as a supporting function. “The Cartenz Peace operation puts forward persuasive and preemptive methods through the intelligence function, the community development function, and the public relations function,” Ramadhan explained.
The Nemangkawi Task Force was a joint team of Indonesian Military (TNI) and police tasked with dealing with armed groups in Papua. The task force is under the command of the Papua Police chief and the Cenderawasih Regional Military commander.
According to the Nemangkawi Task Force, there were four areas in Papua considered prone to violence, namely Intan Jaya Regency, Mimika Regency, Puncak Regency, and Nduga Regency. Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Mathius Fakhiri said that in 2021 there were 92 shooting cases in Papua, an increase from 49 cases in 2020. (*)
Editor: Edi Faisol
