By PATRICK GOWER and AINSLEY THOMSON
A Somali used a spear-like weapon to kill a young Tongan who ran at his group and missed them with a flying punch during a brawl in Owairaka, says a witness.
Elikena Inia was stabbed near the heart during a night of fighting between Pacific
Islanders and Somalis in the neighbourhood a fortnight ago.
The 22-year-old later died in hospital.
Police have not charged anyone with his murder.
In an item to be broadcast on the community television station Triangle in a bid to help other Tongans understand what happened, a close friend of Mr Inia, Tupou Sia, described how the tragedy on McGehan Close unfolded.
To further help the Tongans and Somalis come to terms with the killing, a meeting was held last night between the two communities.
At the meeting Mr Inia's father, Lopeni Inia, made a plea for the Somali community to reveal who had killed his son.
The item on Triangle will screen at 11 pm tomorrow and was translated from Tongan for the Herald by community leader Will 'Ilolahia.
Mr Sia told of how he was drinking with Mr Inia and another man close to where the night's tensions had begun when a Somali ran over a football owned by a Samoan family.
"We were drinking in the garage. The Somalis told us to turn the radio down.
"Prior to that, the Somalis had argued with some Samoans up the road. We were not involved.
"We continued drinking. We [again] argued with the Somalis and fought them."
The Somalis retreated but "returned in full force. We saw them with baseball bats, knives, etc".
"Kena [Mr Inia] was the first to run towards them. He 'jump-punched' them and missed them. The Somalis left and we picked up Kena and rang for an ambulance. It took too long so our mate Simi was the first to take him to hospital.
"After arriving, 10 minutes later, the doctor pronounced him dead."
Mr 'Ilolahia said Mr Sia described how Mr Inia was stabbed near the heart, using the word "tao", which is Tongan for spear.
Auckland police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty would not comment when asked if detectives were looking for a spear-like instrument.
She would say only that police had recovered "a number of interesting items from the scene that could have been used as weapons".
Mr 'Ilolahia said he believed cultural misunderstandings and alcohol were major influences in the death.
He hoped some of the tensions could be resolved when representatives of migrant communities met at St Matthew's Church on February 6.
"I want to emphasise that the alcohol played a major part in all this, because this was not in his [Mr Inia's] character at all.
"Anyone who knows him will tell you that."
Mr 'Ilolahia also attended last night's meeting between the Somali and Tongan communities.
He said that after Mr Inia's father made his plea, the Somalis present said they would make a commitment to find the person responsible.
Among the 50 people who attended were Race Relations Conciliator Gregory Fortuin, former All Black Michael Jones and representatives from the Prime Minister's office.
Mr 'Ilolahia said there would have been around 25 different ethnic groups present at the meeting, which was held in the Mt Roskill Pacific Island Congregation Church.
At the meeting a committee, made up of police staff, Tongan and Somali community leaders and Mr Jones, was formed to set up programmes to improve community relations.
Mr 'Ilolahia said the main point that came across in the meeting was that Mr Inia's death was not a racial incident.
"That came across from all sides. It was just an incident between youths where alcohol was involved."
By PATRICK GOWER and AINSLEY THOMSON
A Somali used a spear-like weapon to kill a young Tongan who ran at his group and missed them with a flying punch during a brawl in Owairaka, says a witness.
Elikena Inia was stabbed near the heart during a night of fighting between Pacific
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