Vanuatu police expect to arrest more than 20 villagers this week after violence involving the people of Avok Island and Lamap village on the south of Malekula.
The northern police commander, deputy commissioner Samuel Pakoa, says the violence began with one villager being killed, prompting villagers to burn the houses on Avok Island and assault one person in retaliation.
He says they sent a police team to the area but with the whole community involved they had to withdraw until reinforcements could be sent from Luganville.
Deputy commissioner Pakoa says that team was due there last week but the high rivers have delayed them.
"Of course there are rivers that they have to cross and because of the bad weather we have at the moment our vehicles were not able to cross the rivers, so we are still waiting for them to go up to Lamap again before I can send a small patrol boat up there to move the suspects up to Santo."
Vanuatu's northern police commander, deputy commissioner Samuel Pakoa.
