‘Heart of fairness’: Papua New Guinea PM Marape bullish as no-confidence vote looms

The latest attempt to unseat Marape follows a tumultuous period that included a devastating landslide in Enga province, where thousands are believed to have died, as well as deadly riots just four months earlier.

The prime minister, who has cast himself as the democratic leader of a “Black Christian Nation”, enjoyed a rare moment of respite this week as Pope Francis made his first visit to the Christian-majority country.

Jubilant crowds listened to the Catholic leader deliver a message calling for an end to the “spiral of violence” that has gripped the Pacific’s most populous island nation.