In a significant development, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has decided to reopen National Highway-02 for the free movement of commuters and essential goods. The decision follows a series of meetings between officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and a KZC delegation held in New Delhi over the past few days. The KZC has also assured full cooperation with the Security Forces deployed by the Government of India to maintain peace along the highway.

Alongside this decision, a tripartite meeting was held today in New Delhi among representatives of the MHA, the Government of Manipur, and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF). The meeting concluded with the signing of a Suspension of Operations (SoO) Agreement on re-negotiated terms and conditions, which will remain in force for one year from the date of signing.

The revised agreement reaffirmed the territorial integrity of Manipur and underscored the need for a negotiated solution to bring lasting peace and stability to the state. As part of the commitments under the new ground rules, the KNO and UPF agreed to relocate seven designated camps from conflict-prone areas, reduce the number of such camps, deposit weapons at the nearest CRPF or BSF camps, and allow stringent physical verification of cadres by Security Forces to identify and remove any foreign nationals.

A Joint Monitoring Group will oversee the enforcement of these ground rules, with any violations to be dealt with firmly, including a possible review of the SoO Agreement.