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4h ago

Manipur Signs Yearlong SoO With Kuki‑Zo Groups as Govt Cites NH‑02 Free Movement, Key Bodies Object

Officials pledge strict enforcement of a yearlong SoO under tougher ground rules to test whether the truce can hold.

Security personnel stand guard along a street in Imphal on June 9, 2025, after violence erupted
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The Centre, the Manipur government and the armed groups under the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF) signed off on the SoO agreement on Thursday. (ANI FILE PHOTO)

Overview

  • The Centre, Manipur administration and Kuki umbrellas KNO and UPF signed a one‑year Suspension of Operations with revised terms reaffirming the state’s territorial integrity.
  • KNO and UPF agreed to relocate seven designated camps, move deposited weapons to nearby CRPF/BSF facilities, and submit cadres to stringent physical verification under a joint monitoring mechanism.
  • The Home Ministry said the Kuki‑Zo Council agreed to allow free movement on NH‑02 and to cooperate with security forces, while the KZC asserted the highway was never closed and emphasized respecting buffer zones.
  • Manipur Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel said the agreements will be implemented, even as Meitei group COCOMI and other valley bodies rejected the SoO extension and some Kuki organisations opposed unrestricted transit by Meiteis.
  • The developments come under President’s Rule and ahead of a possible prime ministerial visit reported for next week, with violence since May 2023 leaving roughly 260 dead and tens of thousands displaced.