NSCN-IM using Naga-Kuki tensions to divert attention, say Kuki-Zo insurgent groups
Kuki-Zo insurgent groups allege that the NSCN-IM is manipulating Naga-Kuki tensions to distract from internal organizational issues. They warn that these efforts to manufacture conflict could destabilize the region and undermine peace efforts.
Why it matters
The allegations highlight the complex and fragile nature of ethnic insurgencies and peace processes in Northeast India.
The spokesperson of a Kuki-Zo insurgent group in peace talks with the government said on Thursday (September 10, 2026) that the ongoing unrest in Manipur was not a “Naga-Kuki conflict”, and alleged, instead, that certain elements linked to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) [NSCN-IM] were making attemps to manufacture such a narrative to serve their own interests.
The ethnic violence in Manipur , which began as clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities on May 3, 2023, has, since February 7, 2026, expanded to include violence between sections of the Naga and Kuki communities.
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