Two of the most prominent Kuki-Zo groups signed a suspension of operations agreement with the government on Thursday, under renegotiated conditions that include a commitment to preserve the territorial integrity of Manipur, relocating designated camps from sensitive areas and working towards a solution aimed at bringing lasting peace and stability in the state.

Officials said the signing of the Suspension of Operations between the Kuki National Organisation and the United People's Front is expected to contribute positively to peace efforts in Manipur.

Meanwhile, the civil society organisation Kuki-Zo Council has decided to reopen National Highway 02, which runs through Manipur, to allow the free movement of commuters and essential goods.

The move comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s likely visit to Manipur next week, which would be his first since ethnic violence broke out between the Meiteis and Kukis in May 2023.

According to an official statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the pact followed a series of meetings in recent days between MHA officials and a delegation of Kuki groups.

Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence since May 3, 2023, when a tribal solidarity march was organised in the hill districts in protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Since then, around 260 people, including members of both the Kuki and Meitei communities as well as security personnel, have lost their lives, although the situation has remained relatively calm in the past few months.

"A tripartite meeting among representatives of MHA, the government of Manipur and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People's Front (UPF) was held at New Delhi today. The meeting concluded with the signing of a tripartite Suspension of Operations 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," the MHA statement said.

The provisions agreed upon include maintaining the territorial integrity of Manipur and recognising the need for a negotiated solution to ensure lasting peace and stability in the state.

The KNO and UPF have also agreed to relocate seven designated camps from conflict-prone areas, reduce the number of such camps, move weapons to the nearest CRPF and BSF camps, and ensure strict physical verification of cadres by security forces to identify and remove any foreign nationals.

The UPF comprises seven groups and the KNO consists of 16 groups.

A joint monitoring group will closely observe the enforcement of the ground rules and any violations will be dealt with firmly, including the option of reviewing the Suspension of Operations agreement, the statement added.

"The Kuki-Zo Council has decided to open the National Highway-02 for the free movement of commuters and essential goods. The KZC has given commitment to cooperate with security forces deployed by government of India to maintain peace along NH-02," it said.

The Suspension of Operations agreement was first signed in 2008 and has been renewed periodically.

However, it was not extended after February 2024 due to the ethnic unrest in the state.

Officials said the KNO and UPF and their constituent groups will fully renounce violence and remain committed to the Constitution of India, the laws of the country and the territorial integrity of Manipur.

The agreement will be followed by a tripartite dialogue with the KNO and UPF to pave the way for a negotiated political settlement within the framework of the Constitution of India in a time-bound manner.

The KNO and UPF and their members will not maintain any association, either organisational or individual, with other armed groups inside or outside the country, officials said.

They will also not undertake offensive actions such as ambushes, raids, sniping, attacks causing death, injury, damage or loss of property, kidnapping, extortion or intimidation against security forces, other groups or civilians, they said.

In return, security forces will not carry out operations against the KNO and UPF and their constituents as long as they abide by the terms of the agreement.

Relocation of designated Kuki camps has been a longstanding demand of Meitei groups, who had alleged that militants from these camps had earlier carried out attacks on residents of the valley.

They had also sought the reopening of the national highway for unrestricted movement.

Manipur is currently under President’s rule, which was imposed on February 13 after the then chief minister N Biren Singh resigned on February 9 following months of ethnic violence.

The state assembly, which has a tenure until 2027, has been placed under suspended animation.

After the imposition of President’s rule, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has taken a series of measures to restore peace and normalcy, including directing those who had looted weapons from security forces to return them.