The Commission for Tribal Unity (CoTU), a Kuki-Zu body based in Manipur, said it had decided to withdraw the blockade along two national highways on Monday after assurances from Kangpokpi district officials.
CoTU said senior Kangbukpi police officers had assured them that they would take steps for the “safety and security of all Kuki Zu villages” and residents within the district.
It also said that the officer agreed to “ensure safe and appropriate transportation of essential goods to all Kuki Zo villages through adequate security arrangements, especially in Limakhung District, Tuelang IT Road District, Kangchob District, Pongpi District and other affected areas within Kangbukpi District.”
In addition, it reiterated its demand for the arrest and prosecution of all perpetrators involved in the killing of three church leaders on May 13.
The Kuki Authority imposed an indefinite blockade on Sunday at 4 pm along two national highways including Imphal-Dimapur (NH-2) and Imphal-Silchar via Jiribam (NH 37). The aim was to condemn the alleged biased security operations in the Limakhong-Kangchub area.
Read also:Police: Gunfight erupts in Kangpokpi in Manipur as Kuki-Zu’s body blocks highways
Security operations were conducted in Kangpokpi area after the mutilated bodies of six Nagas, who were allegedly kidnapped by the Kukis, were recovered on June 1.
Tensions escalated on Sunday after an exchange of gunfire broke out between security forces and unidentified gunmen during a security operation at two locations in Lilon Fife and Konsakul village in Kangbukpi district. However, the police did not announce any injuries.
According to security forces, tensions flared again on Monday when security forces attempted to disperse protesters and clear the national highway, resulting in at least three people being injured.
Ethnic clashes in Manipur first began between the Meitei and Kuki communities before encompassing almost all communities. The state’s Meite and Kuki Zou communities have remained largely isolated in their-dominated areas since ethnic clashes began in May 2023, killing at least 260 people and displacing 60,000 people.
