Peace agreement with UNLF(P) in force, outfit has 1,435 'verified cadre': Manipur minister

Govindas Konthoujam, Home Minister of Manipur, informed the Manipur Legislative Assembly on March 16 that the peace agreement signed with the insurgent outfit United National Liberation Front (UNLF) remains in force and that 1,435 cadres of the group have already been verified by the authorities.

Responding to a query raised by Congress MLA Surjakumar Okram regarding the present status of the peace agreement between the UNLF (Pambei faction) and the government, Konthoujam stated that the accord signed in November 2023 continues to be operational. He told the House that the verification process of UNLF cadres has been completed for 1,435 members and that they are presently stationed at six designated camps where basic amenities are being provided by the government.

The minister also informed the Assembly that the Centre has sanctioned Rs 5.83 crore for the upkeep of the camps. According to him, the amount is being released in five instalments covering the period from December 2023 to April 2024. He added that the state government is still awaiting the release of funds for the subsequent six months, from May 2024 to October 2024, to clear the remaining financial backlog.

The peace agreement with the UNLF marked a significant development in Manipur’s internal security landscape, as the outfit became the first Meitei insurgent group to enter into a formal peace pact with the Government of India and the Manipur government. The agreement is aimed at ending decades of armed insurgency and bringing the cadres into the mainstream through rehabilitation and monitoring under the designated camp system.