Kuki group cadres kill Assam tribal leader involved in Manipur peace talks

Nehkam Jomhao, the tribal leader, participated in a meeting in Imphal on August 16 between Thadou tribe representatives and Meitei civil society groups

The body of a 59-year-old tribal leader involved in peace talks in ethnic violence-hit Manipur has been recovered from a river in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, days after five men linked to a Kuki militant group allegedly abducted and killed him, police said on Friday.

Police said Nehkam Jomhao’s body was recovered on Thursday. (HT PHOTO)

Nehkam Jomhao, the tribal leader, participated in a meeting in Imphal on August 16 between Thadou tribe representatives and Meitei civil society groups. It was the first such engagement since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur last year.

Senior police superintendent (Karbi Anglong) Sanjib Kumar Saikia said Jomhao’s body was recovered on Thursday and has been sent for postmortem. “We have arrested the five accused persons. Further investigation and legal proceedings are going on. We cannot share more details.”

Jomhao, the chairman of the Thadou Literary Society Assam, went missing from his residence in Manja last Saturday. The five men arrested over his abduction and murder are linked to the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA), which has signed a Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Union government.

Police said Jomhao was taken to a forested area and killed. His body was dumped in the river, from where it was recovered after an extensive search.

The KRA admitted that its cadres were responsible for the killing and said it was shocked and saddened by the heinous crime. KRA general secretary LS Gangte issued a statement, saying the murder was carried out without the knowledge or sanction of the group’s leadership. “The cadres acted on their own in sheer emotional impulse, fully aware such actions would never have been permitted by the organisation. We accept moral responsibility, apologise to the bereaved family, and suspend all five cadres from the group,” Gangte said.

The outfit assured cooperation with law enforcement agencies and announced an internal review to strengthen discipline and accountability. “We recognise that this incident has raised serious concerns regarding organisational discipline and accountability. Therefore, an internal review will be conducted to identify shortcomings and strengthen measures to prevent any recurrence.”

The killing has sparked outrage. Tribal organisations, including Thadou Inpi Manipur, Thadou Students’ Association, and Thadou Community International, condemned the killing.

The murder came to light a day after the Union government signed a tripartite agreement with Kuki-Zo insurgent groups and the Manipur government, and convinced protesters to restart traffic on an arterial highway. The highway has been blocked for two years. The pact potentially sets the stage for peace in Manipur. At least 260 people have died in ethnic violence in the state since 2023.

The Manipur government, Kuki National Organisation, and United People’s Front signed the tripartite SoO Agreement on re-negotiated terms and conditions (ground rules) on Thursday.

Manipur’s Meitei and Kuki-Zo tribal areas have remained virtually partitioned since violence broke out. Security agencies established buffer regions as part of efforts to restore peace.

The clashes first began between the Meitei and Kuki communities. It has since involved almost every community in the state