Church bodies offer to broker Kuki-Naga peace in Manipur

Two religion organisations person offered to broker bid betwixt the Kukis and Nagas successful taste conflict-scarred Manipur amid a “total shutdown” and an “economic blockade” affecting mean beingness crossed the State.

A 10-member squad of religion leaders, representing the Council for Baptist Churches successful North East India (CBCNEI) and the Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC), called connected Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh connected Monday (May 18, 2026) to sermon the tense concern betwixt the 2 tribal communities.

Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho besides attended the meeting.

According to an authoritative astatine the Chief Minister’s Office, the religion leaders volunteered to facilitate bid betwixt the 2 communities. They offered to prosecute 2 teams for the purpose. While 1 squad volition question to the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district, the different volition question to the Naga-majority Senapati district, which borders Nagaland.

More than 40 Nagas and Kukis were held hostage aft unidentified gunmen ambushed and killed 3 religion leaders, belonging to the Thadou community, astatine Zero Point betwixt Kotlen and Kotzim villages successful Kangpokpi territory connected May 13. A conception of the Thadous resents being clubbed arsenic Kuki, a acceptable of tribes perceived by galore non-Kukis arsenic non-indigenous.

“The relation being played by the religion leaders successful trying to defuse the concern arising retired of the hostage situation is laudable,” the Chief Minister said, encouraging the CBCNEI and MBC to person leaders of some communities.

“Hostages connected some sides request to beryllium released connected humanitarian grounds urgently. Apart from talking to the Kuki assemblage and religion leaders, our squad volition question to Kangpokpi to conscionable the household members of the 3 slain religion leaders,” a CBCNEI spokesperson said.

The religion squad volition past question to Senapati to conscionable Naga religion leaders and cardinal members of civilian nine organisations to sermon the prevailing tense concern and hostage crisis.

On May 15, assorted Kuki and Naga groups released 28 hostages — 14 each from some communities. The families and organisations of the 2 communities person been demanding the merchandise of the remaining captives for bid to beryllium ushered in.

Truckers’ appeal

Hundreds of goods-laden and bare trucks person been stranded connected highways successful the State’s Imphal Valley and Senapati territory since a Kuki organisation imposed a “total shutdown” connected May 13. The concern escalated aft a Naga organisation enforced an “economic blockade” successful Naga-inhabited areas connected Sunday evening.

National Highway 2, the lifeline of Manipur, meanders done the Senapati and Kangpokpi districts, connecting Imphal with the remainder of the country.

“We person been stuck for the past 5 days and are facing an acute shortage of nutrient and drinking water. Some radical helped america with atom and dal, but that is not enough,” a radical of drivers of the stranded commercialized vehicles said, appealing to the Manipur authorities to guarantee their harmless passage.

The drivers besides sought information escorts to scope their respective destinations.

The Kuki Inpi Manipur, the apex assemblage of the Kukis, called for a total shutdown to protestation the sidesplitting of the religion leaders and the government’s nonaccomplishment to rescue 14 members of their assemblage from their captors, allegedly successful Naga areas.

The United Naga Council, the apex assemblage of the Nagas of Manipur, retaliated with the economical blockade to unit the authorities to merchandise six Naga civilians, including 2 pastors, allegedly held hostage by Kuki extremists.

A Manipur authorities spokesperson said the information forces continued their hunt for the missing persons. He said combing operations were being carried retired successful Kangpokpi and Senapati districts.