Looting

“I must make it very clear here that no one is above the law,” Commissioner Mostyn Mangau said.

Mr Mangau added “We are expected to live and make decisions within the principles of the rule of law regardless of our positions in our society. I therefore forewarned that if anybody is found in breach of such illegal activities, Police will not hesitate to arrest and deal with him/her.”

Businesses, schools and even the Prime Minister's residence were set alight and looted by protesters during three straight days of civil unrest.

Now people are struggling to restock food supplies, and there are queues at ATMs and petrol stations as the extent of the crisis begins to take its toll.

Unrest broke out on Wednesday when a peaceful protest calling on Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to step down turned violent and quickly spiralled out of control of the local police.