Nagaland: NSCN-K announces ceasefire, returns to peace talks

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KOHIMA

The Naga insurgent group NSCN-K, led by Niki Sumi, on December 23 announced a ceasefire and said that it has contacted the central government for initiating a peace dialogue.

The NSCN-K had signed a ceasefire with the Centre in 2001, but unilaterally abrogated it in 2015.

Sumi is the prime accused in the killing of 18 Indian Army soldiers in Manipur in 2015, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a reward of ₹ 10 lakh for his arrest.

In a statement, Sumi said the NSCN-K has been striving all these years to achieve an honourable and acceptable political solution to the Naga issue and the group is also conscious of the overwhelming sentiments among the Naga people for an early solution to this long-standing matter.

“To facilitate the process and keeping in view the desire of the Naga people particularly Naga civil society organisations and NGOs, the NSCN has further revived the ceasefire with immediate effect by revoking the earlier decision of unilateral abrogation of the ceasefire in 2015,” the statement said.

A home ministry official said this is the last group of Indian origin leaders and cadres operating from Myanmar.

Their joining peace process will give a boost to Naga peace process as the remaining chunk of NSCN-K is Myanmar centric and is irrelevant to the government, the official said.

The NSCN-IM had signed a Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015 in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a permanent solution. (PTI)

(Edited by Christopher Gatphoh)