Pact to end strife in Manipur signed

IMPHAL, March 27: Leaders of the Kuki and Zoumi communities of Manipur's Churachandpur district have signed a memorandum of understanding (M...

IMPHAL, March 27: Leaders of the Kuki and Zoumi communities of Manipur’s Churachandpur district have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Leishangthem Chandramani Singh, to end the nine-month-long conflict between the two communities.

A copy of the MoU, signed on Thursday and issued to the press today, said all forms of violence, including burning of houses, kidnapping, killing, extortion, fabrication of false rumours and even using of harsh words against other communities, would stop forthwith.

The MoU was signed by the chairman of Zomi council, L Tunta Ngaihte and president of the Kuki Inpi (a Kuki organisation) of Churachandpur, Albert Gen Goukhup Mate, after a marathon nine-hour long meeting presided over by Singh.

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The MoU, also signed by the Deputy Chief Minister as a witness, would remain valid till April 23 next. Any extension, if necessary, would be decided by April 16.

During the period of the accord, the leaders of the two organisations wouldwork to resolve the differences between the two communities and sign a permanent peace accord later.

Sources in the two organisations said the leaders of the Zomi council and Kuki Inpi of Churachandpur were reportedly given due authorisation by the armed groups of the respective communities and other organisations to resolve the ethnic crisis and were to meet every three days to assess the progress of implementation of provisions of the MoU.

A monitoring cell would also be set up to observe the functioning of the MoU and the cell would also act a fact-finding committee, sources added.

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Over 300 persons have been killed since the outbreak of ethnic clashes in June last and over 4,000 houses either destroyed or set on fire so far.

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