Barrick Gold suspends operations at Papua New Guinea mine after violence kills at least 20

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Barrick Gold has suspended operations at its Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea until Thursday after tribal violence in the region killed at least 20.

Papua New Guinea has granted police emergency powers, including the use of lethal force, to contain the violence in Porgera between illegal settlers squatting near the gold mine and local landowners, newspapers Post-Courier and The National reported late on Sunday.

"The Porgera gold mine has suspended the majority of its operations until 19 September for the protection of its employees while the government restores law and order in the surrounding region," a spokesperson said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Two of its employees were killed in the violence, the spokesperson added.

Home to hundreds of tribes and languages, the Pacific nation to the north of Australia has a long history of tribal warfare.

Violence has increased over the past decade as villagers swapped bows and arrows for military rifles and elections deepened existing tribal divides.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Sandra Maler)