As far as the outside world was concerned, the discovery of the Baliem Valley, where Wamena is located, and the unexpected presence of its large agricultural population was made by Richard Archbold’s third zoological expedition to New Guinea in 1938. On 21 June an aerial reconnaissance flight southwards from Hollandia found what the expedition called the ‘Grand Valley’. Since it was almost completely cut off from the outside world, the area was spared by the fightings for the control of New Guinea during World War II. The town itself was founded by the dutch in 1956, as one of the last town founded during their presence in Western New Guinea. Since then the valley has gradually been opened up to a limited amount of tourism. In 2003, during what would be called afterward the Wamena incident, an unidentified mob led by the Free Papua Movement raided the Indonesian Army's armoury of the town, killing two Indonesians soldiers and stealing several assault rifles. Reprisals were harsh, affecting 25 villagers, displacing around 7,000 villagers and killing 50 in the process, torture and destruction of properties by the Indonesian army was also reported.. During the 2019 Papua protests, several government buildings were destroyed by angry mob, the police and the military retaliated, leaving 16 civilians killed and 65 injured. According to local authorities, the particular set of protests was triggered by a separate racism incident within the city. A Kompas correspondent in Wamena reported that gunshots sounded across the city and that civilians were taking shelter in police stations and military bases. Out of the 16 civilians killed, 13 had come from outside the province, and most deaths occurred as they were trapped in buildings torched by the angry mob. Responding to the protests, the Communication and Information Ministry reactivated the internet blackout in Wamena. Owing to the rioting and unrest, around 15,000 civilians were evacuated from Wamena, with a further 1,726 internally displaced within the town in early October. Going the opposite direction, around 2,000 Papuan students returned from other cities across Indonesia to their home towns and cities, reporting a feeling of intimidation and danger.
Economy
Wamena claims a broader variety of fresh fruits and vegetables than other regions in Papua. On early June 6, 2013, a modern market was built in the town center to allow traditional farmers to sell their harvests at a proper price.
Wamena airport
The only airport in the region that can accommodate the Indonesian Military s Hercules airplanes was razed by fire on September 26, 2011; all buildings including the departure and arrival terminals were engulfed by fire.
