MHA yet to extend Suspension of Operations pact with Kuki-Zo groups a month after expiry
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to visit Senapati, a Naga-dominated district in Manipur, on October 7.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has yet to extend the Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups in Manipur, a month after the one-year agreement expired on September 4, 2025. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to visit Senapati, a predominantly Naga district in Manipur, on October 7, marking his second visit to the state since the 2023 violence.
During a security review on September 30, officials decided to deploy 30 additional CRPF companies (3,000 personnel) and two CoBRA battalions (2,000 personnel) in the region. The SoO pact, initially signed in 2008 following Kuki-Naga clashes and extended periodically thereafter, expired on September 4. It was re-negotiated on the same day with the Manipur Government and Kuki-Zo groups, with the aim of addressing the ongoing ethnic violence fueled by civilian weapons.
Meitei and Naga civil society groups, as well as the Manipur Government, have demanded the abrogation of the SoO pact, citing the presence of numerous weapons among civilians as a major driver of violence. Despite the SoO group's claim that they have verified all weapons are accounted for, no formal announcement has been made regarding the pact's status.
Kuki-Zo representatives expressed frustration over the lack of communication from the MHA and Ajit Lal, the MHA's Adviser for the Northeast and chief interlocutor for peace talks.
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