MARIBU — The anger of the Maribu Village indigenous community has reached its peak, resulting in the blocking of the main road connecting access to Depapre District and its surroundings on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. This road blockade was triggered by deep disappointment and strong condemnation from residents regarding the statement made by Septinus Yarisetouw, the Ondoafi of Wauna Village, who is deemed to have unilaterally surrendered indigenous customary land belonging to the Maribu community to the Papua Provincial Government.
This tension originated from an event on April 29, 2026, in Waiya Village, where Septinus Yarisetouw symbolically surrendered land and coastal waters to the Governor of Papua, Mathius D. Fakiri, under a right-of-use status. However, this surrender is considered invalid and illegal by the Maribu Village indigenous community, considering that the land in the Waiya Village area is historically and under customary law the legitimate property of the Maribu people, not the party who surrendered it.
At the location of the blockade, the atmosphere appeared tense as the masses demanded the presence of Septinus Yarisetouw to immediately revoke his statement before the public and the government. Maribu Customary Figure, Onesimus Banundi, emphasized that this action will not stop until there is an official cancellation of the claim to the surrender of the territory. "The statement of Brother Septinus Yarisetouw regarding the surrender of the coastal sea rights of Tepera Wauna to the Papua Provincial Government, that is what we are waiting for today, he must be present. He must cancel it, otherwise this remains permanent, not just for today, if necessary for one month, if necessary for one year," said Onesimus Banundi in a firm tone amidst the crowd.
The Maribu indigenous community issued a stern warning that if their demands are ignored, the road access will continue to be closed and they are prepared to take further action. They emphasized that the recognition of land ownership is a fixed price that must be restored. "Until Septinus cancels this. And he must make a statement that the land there belongs to the Maribu people," Onesimus continued, emphasizing the customary legal position of the Maribu community which is non-negotiable.
In addition to demanding the presence of Septinus Yarisetouw, the masses also urged the Regent of Jayapura or the Governor of Papua to immediately arrive directly at the road blockade location in Maribu Village. The presence of these regional leaders is considered crucial so that clear discussions and agreements can be reached to annul the unilateral claims previously made. Until this news was published, the main road to Depapre remains completely paralyzed as the indigenous community continues to stand their ground to protect the sovereignty of their customary land from claims without correct customary legal basis. ***