Niki-led NSCN (K) to revive CF

December 24, 2020 99 Views No Comment

DIMAPUR, DEC 23 (NPN) : Newly elected president of the breakaway faction of the NSCN (K), Niki Sumi Wednesday announced that the faction, in order to facilitate the peace process, has decided to revive the cease fire with the government of India which it had unitarily abrogated in 2015.

Niki Sumi was recently elected as president of the new faction formed in July after differences emerged with the leadership of the original NSCN-K insurgent group in Myanmar led by its chairman Yung Aung.

Niki said the faction had been striving for years to achieve an honourable and acceptable political solution to the Naga issue. He said NSCN/GPRN was also conscious of the overwhelming sentiments among Nagas for an early solution to the protracted issue.

Niki said his group was aware of the sincere and genuine efforts made by the government of India in the recent past, in finding a final and lasting solution to the Naga issue with involvement of all the stakeholders. Therefore, NSCN/GPRN resolved to strengthen and support the peace process at the present critical juncture. Niki further said in the regard, leaders of his group have established contact with officials of the government of India.

Therefore, in order to facilitate the process and also in view that the desire of the Naga people, particularly, Naga civil society organisations and NGOs, the NSCN/GRPN had decided to revive the cease fire with immediate effect which it had unilaterally revoked in 2015.

In this regard, Niki expressed the hope that the government of India will respond positively by honouring his group’s decision of revoking its earlier decision to unilaterally abrogate the cease fire in 2015.

“We expect Government of India to respond positively by honouring our decision as a confidence building measure in the larger interests of peace in Nagaland and Naga people in general,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, a home ministry official told The Indian Express that “this is the last group of Indian origin leaders and cadres operating from Myanmar.”

“Their joining peace process will give a boost to Naga peace process as the remaining chunk of NSCN-K is Myanmar centric and is irrelevant to the government,” the official said.

As reported earlier, there were speculations about Niki joining the peace process. According to Imphal Times report, a high level Indian army team had received Niki Sumi at the Indo-Myanmar border in Phek district, and who was likely to proceed to New Delhi to hold talks with the Government of India.

Highly placed sources also informed Nagaland Post that once the Government of India decides to take Niki’s group on board, the leader(s) will be taken to Delhi for the formal talks.

It may be recalled that Niki was recently elected as the president of the NSCN (K), which broke away from the Myanmar based NSCN (K) group headed by Yung Aung. The post of president remained vacant after its former president Nyemlang Konyak joined the NSCN (R) on September 26, 2020.

According to a report in The Print, Niki Sumi is the prime accused in the killing of 18 Indian Army soldiers by NSCN-K in Manipur’s Chandel district on June 4, 2015.

The National Investigation Agency had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of Sumi, who was then the commander of the armed wing of the outfit.

Source: http://www.nagalandpost.com/niki-led-nscn-k-to-revive-cf/226590.html