The UKNA has warned that any dialogue not addressing accountability for the 2023 ethnic violence risks being “superficial and unsustainable.”
BY PC Bureau
March 21, 2026 — The United Kuki National Army (UKNA), a Kuki armed group active in Manipur’s hill districts, has rejected any peace initiative between Kuki-Zo civil society organisations and the state government unless it is anchored in what it called “concrete and just solutions,” including accountability for the violence and fulfilment of the community’s long-standing demand for separate administration.
Dated March 20, 2026, and issued from the outfit’s “Government of KUKI-GAM General Headquarters,” the statement came a day before a scheduled high-level meeting in Guwahati between Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh and a delegation of the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC). The meeting, reportedly convened by the Chief Minister’s Office around March 17, is aimed at discussing ways to restore “peace and normalcy” in the violence-scarred state.
In its release, the UKNA said it had “taken note of reports concerning a proposed meeting” and reiterated its “steadfast position” that it “does not support any initiative for peace that is not grounded in concrete and just solutions.” While the group said it was not opposed to peace in principle, it insisted that “any meaningful and lasting peace must be preceded by justice and accountability.”
The statement warned that any attempt to advance peace without addressing the “deep scars” left by the ongoing crisis and the victims’ wait for justice would be “superficial and unsustainable” — nothing more than “a pipe dream.”
It ended with a blunt, all-caps declaration: “SEPARATE ADMINISTRATION IS THE ONLY WAY TO PEACE SOLUTION.” The statement was signed by the Department of Information, UKNA, and carried the outfit’s motto: “Kuki Nam jalenna din kapang jing uve” — roughly translated as, “For the sake of the Kuki nation, we shall fight till the end.”
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What is UKNA?
The United Kuki National Army, formed in 2015, operates mainly in Churachandpur district and is not a signatory to the 2008 Suspension of Operations agreement that covers 24 other Kuki-Zo insurgent groups. Indian security agencies have described it as a proscribed outfit involved in extortion, threats, and activities that sustain tension and obstruct efforts to restore normalcy.
In late 2025 and early 2026, Para Special Forces and Assam Rifles conducted several operations against UKNA camps, killing a number of cadres and seizing weapons.
Despite this, the group has maintained a vocal presence through press statements, insisting that it is fighting for the “Kuki nation” and its political rights. Its stand has remained consistent: no peace without justice, no reconciliation without separate administration, and sharp warnings against any compromise on the core demand.
As the UKNA said in its closing lines, the organisation remains committed to pursuing “lasting peace with determination and resolve” and will continue its efforts “hammer and tongs” until justice is served and a durable solution is secured.
The days ahead — beginning with the Guwahati meeting — will test whether symbolic outreach can bridge Manipur’s deep ethnic and political divide, or whether the demand for separate administration will continue to shape the contours of any future peace process.
