The Zeliangrong United Front, an insurgent group in Manipur, signed a peace agreement with the Centre and the state government on Tuesday.
Senior officials of the Union home ministry, the Manipur government and representatives of the Zeliangrong United Front signed the agreement in the presence of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The insurgent group had been active for over a decade, the government said.
“Representatives of the armed group agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land,” a press release from the Union government said. “The agreement provides for rehabilitation and re-settlement of the armed cadres.”
The Centre said that a joint monitoring group will be set up to oversee enforcement of the agreed ground rules under the “cessation of operation” agreement. “This will be a significant boost to the peace process in Manipur,” the government said.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that he was grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling the vision of an insurgency-free and prosperous North East. “Also, thankful to [Union Home Minister] Amit Shah ji for ensuring that the armed insurgents of the region return to the mainstream,” he said.
The Zeliangrong United Front claims to represent the interests of Zeliangrong tribal community, which is among the indigenous Naga communities in the North East. It seeks a “Zeliangrong homeland” within the Union of India, according to The Sangai Express.
The group was responsible for the killings of four civilians and two security personnel since 2000, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal.
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