Guwahati: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and leaders of Kuki-Zo insurgent groups reached an agreement on Monday, June 16, 2025, on the relocation and closure of certain camps operated by the groups in Manipur.
A senior government official confirmed the outcome, stating that the decision also prioritizes the recovery of stolen weapons and the restoration of traffic along key national highways.
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Security agencies have recommended the closure of seven out of the 14 camps currently located near Meitei-dominated foothill areas. Officials indicated that these closures aim to reduce friction in sensitive zones and improve security coordination.
Leaders from Kuki-Zo groups under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact resumed dialogue with the central government on June 9, breaking a two-year hiatus in negotiations.
The discussions follow the breakdown of the tripartite SoO agreement on February 29, 2024, after the Manipur government withdrew from the accord.
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“No fixed timeline has been announced for renewing the SoO pact,” the government official clarified. “The extension will depend on compliance with updated ground rules and broader confidence-building measures.”
Talks held on Monday focused on revising those ground rules, with both sides agreeing on major changes, including the closure of some insurgent camps and efforts to fully reopen National Highways 2 and 37.
These highways are critical supply routes that connect the Imphal Valley with Nagaland and Assam and pass through Kuki-Zo areas.
A representative of the SoO groups noted that the demands on the table have evolved since the ethnic violence that erupted between Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities on May 3, 2023.
“The current context calls for a fresh review of the pact’s framework,” the representative said. “We have submitted proposals involving coordination with security forces, and discussions around camp closures are ongoing. We followed a structured process in 2008 to finalize ground rules, and we’re applying the same approach now.”
Approximately 2,200 cadres affiliated with the United People’s Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), coalitions representing 25 armed groups, remain stationed in 14 officially designated camps across Manipur’s hill districts. The authorities have not paid each cadre their entitled monthly stipend of Rs 6,000 since the start of the ethnic unrest last year.
The original SoO pact dates back to efforts to end Kuki-Naga clashes in the 1990s, during which hundreds lost their lives. While the groups initially demanded greater autonomy through Kuki-Zo regional councils, their post-2023 demands have shifted toward creating a Union Territory with a Legislative Assembly for Kuki-Zo-inhabited areas.
Officials confirmed that both sides would reconvene for the next round of talks in about two weeks.