Vanuatu chiefs, police criticised in riot report

Commission of Inquiry report into the March riots in Vanuatu is highly critical of the handling of the incident by tribal chiefs and police.A man from the island of Tanna and another from Ambrym were killed during the riots after clashes between the two islands at the Blacksands settlement near Port Vila.The inquiry was commissioned by the government to look into the actions of the Vanuatu police force during the incident on March 3.The inquiry's report says the violence would have been avoided if the chiefs had actively mediated between the two conflicting groups.The commission also says police failed to handle the civil disturbances appropriately.Vanuatu police arrested about 200 people in connection with the death of the two men and a two week state of emergency was declared in Port Vila. The violence stemmed from allegations of black magic.
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