SYDNEY, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Barrick Gold ( 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.