Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Manipur, the central government has finalized a tripartite agreement to renew the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact with Kuki-Zo militant groups, persuading them to reopen highways that had been closed to Meitei residents for the past two years.
Dr Seilen Haokip, Kuki National Organisation (KNO) spokesperson, confirmed to HT on Thursday that the agreement was signed after negotiations with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) representatives.
The MHA has had regular negotiations with Kuki-Zo militant organizations in the last two years under the SoO scheme to revisit and negotiate the terms and conditions of the pact.
Sources close to the negotiations said that, reciprocally, the Kuki-Zo groups have given an assurance to authorities that they will not hinder the two highways and will facilitate free movement of Meitei residents through Kuki-Zo territories.
The government also confirmed the news in an official release.
“In a significant decision, the Kuki-Zo Council has decided today to open the National Highway-02 for the free movement of commuters and essential goods.
The decision came after a series of meetings between officials of the MHA and a delegation of KZC in the last few days at New Delhi. KZC has given commitment to cooperate with Security Forces deployed by GoI to maintain peace along NH-02. Side by side, a tripartite meeting among representatives of MHA, Govt. of Manipur, and Kuki National Organisation/KNO and United People’s Front/UPF was also held at New Delhi on Thursday.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement on re-negotiated terms and conditions (ground rules) to be effective from the day of signing of the Agreement for a period of one year,” a spokesperson said.
The Kuki-Zo council, an umbrella organization of the Kuki-Zo groups, remains to be heard.
Since May 3, 2023, when ethnic violence broke out in the state, Manipur has been de facto segregated along ethnic lines with Meiteis mostly relegated to the valley districts and Kuki-Zo groups to the hill tracts.
The SoO pact was originally signed by the Centre and the government of Manipur with Kuki-Zo militant factions in August 2008 and renewed every year until February 28, 2024, when the renewal process was suspended temporarily.
The suspension came after charges of SoO group members participating in ethnic conflicts in Manipur or imparting training to village defence volunteers, which the groups have vehemently disputed.
While there are demands from erstwhile Chief Minister Biren Singh and his MLAs for cancellation of the SoO agreement, Kuki-Zo organisations and their legislators have appealed to the Centre to continue renewing it. The first SoO agreement executed on August 22, 2008, between the Centre, Manipur government, KNO, and United People's Front (UPF), was designed to suspend hostilities.
Under the agreement, militant organizations committed to ending all kinds of violence, while the Centre and state government promised that no military, paramilitary, or police action against signatory groups would be initiated, as long as they kept to the stipulations of the deal.
As per earlier SoO ground rules, cadres of militant groups are required to stay within camps, which are run by the groups themselves.
Not more than 20% of the cadre should be outside the camp at any time. Members of the state government and the joint monitoring group (JMG) may visit the camps to check on compliance. All weapons must be kept in the armoury of the camp with a double-lock system, one key with the group and the other with the concerned security force.
