Boost to Naga peace process: Centre signs ceasefire agreement with Nagaland’s NSCN Niki group
The present pact was signed by Piyush Goyal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Nikato Pilot Sumi and Abel Zingru Thuer who are members of the militant group.
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New Delhi, September 09: To bring lasting peace in Nagaland, the Narendra Modi-led government signed a 'Ceasefire Agreement' with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K) Niki group for a period of one year.
More than 200 cadres of this group along with 83 weapons joined the peace process, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.
The present pact was signed by Piyush Goyal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Nikato Pilot Sumi and Abel Zingru Thuer who are members of the militant group. “The Ceasefire Agreement and Agreed Ceasefire Ground Rules were signed on 8th September 2021,” the ministry said in a statement.
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The agreement added, "The ceasefire will be applicable for a period of one year with effect from 8th September 2021 to 7th September 2022. The ceasefire will be subject to adherence to the Ceasefire Ground Rules to be mutually agreed upon and signed by the two sides. The Ceasefire Ground Rules will be subject to mutual review and amendment with the involvement of both the parties."
The MHA welcomed the agreement and stated that it was in line with PM Modi's vision of an "Insurgency free and prosperous North East". It should be noted that the government has already signed a “framework agreement” with NSCN (IM) and ceasefire agreements with other Naga groups namely, NSCN (NK), NSCN (R), and NSCN (K) - Khango.
Earlier, the government had signed an Agreement with NLFT (SD) in August 2019 in which 88 cadres along with 44 weapons joined the mainstream of society in Tripura.
In January 2020, with the signing of the Bodo Agreement, more than 2,250 cadres of insurgent groups, including all factions of NDFB, along with 423 weapons and a huge quantity of ammunition surrendered in Assam and joined the mainstream.
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