Manipur Naga body decides to lift highway blockades

The United Naga Council (UNC), the leading organization of Nagas, reached a decision on Saturday (September 26, 2026) to temporarily lift its economic blockade on Manipur's highways after a meeting with the Central and State governments in Guwahati. The decision, following more than three months of blockades, marks a crucial step towards alleviating the transportation and supply crisis in the region, which began in May 2023 due to an ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zomi and Meitei communities.

The violence then escalated between the Kukis and Nagas. UNC President Ng. Lorho informed journalists that the organization decided to lift the blockade temporarily at 6 p.m. on the same day, contingent on the government's acknowledgment of their demands. UNC's demands include the revocation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with around 25 Kuki-Zomi armed groups, removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, and justice for six Naga residents from the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district who were abducted and killed in May.

Additionally, the group mentioned the killing of four Naga villagers near the India-Myanmar border in Kamjong district on September 25. The government assured during the meeting to uphold law and order in the State's vulnerable areas, particularly along the international border. The economic blockades on National Highways 2, 202, and 102A started on June 11, disrupting the flow of goods and affecting the supply of essential supplies to the Imphal Valley, which lies centrally in Manipur.

The blockades were initiated following the recovery of the dismembered bodies of six Naga civilians on June 10.