Manipur Naga body decides to lift highway blockades

The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex community organisation of Nagas, agreed to temporarily lift its economic blockade on Manipur’s highways after a tripartite meeting with the Centre and the State government at the Border Security Force’s Frontier Headquarters in Guwahati on Saturday (September 26, 2026).

The decision to pause the blockade after more than three months is seen as a significant step toward easing the transportation and supply crisis in Manipur since an ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zomi and Meitei communities erupted in May 2023. The violence later shifted to one between the Kukis and Nagas.

Demands to be addressed

UNC president Ng. Lorho told journalists that the discussion was connected with the prolonged economic blockade on Manipur’s lifelines. “We decided to lift the blockade temporarily from 6 p.m. on September 26 after the government said our demands would be addressed,” he said.

The UNC’s demands are the revocation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with about 25 Kuki-Zomi armed groups, the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, and justice for six Naga residents of the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district, who were abducted and killed in May.

On law and order

The organisation’s leadership said the killing of four Naga villagers along the India-Myanmar border in Kamjong district on September 25 also came up in the meeting. It said the government promised to maintain law and order in the State’s vulnerable areas, especially along the international border.

The economic blockades on National Highways 2, 202, and 102A began on June 11, disrupting the movement of goods and affecting the supply of essential items to the Imphal Valley, located almost in the centre of Manipur.

The blockades followed the recovery of the dismembered bodies of the six Naga civilians on June 10.