UKHRUL: The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), Sadar Hills, has strongly condemned the attack on Loibol village in Kangpokpi district that reportedly took place on Thursday and organised a coffin rally to pay tribute to the three civilians killed.
In a statement issued on June 5, the committee alleged that cadres of the NSCN-IM and ZUF (Kamson faction) carried out the attack by burning several houses and killing three civilians, including a woman. The organisation claimed that the incident was a “well-orchestrated” act intended to provoke the Kuki-Zo community into retaliation and reignite the Kuki-Naga conflict of the 1990s.
The CoTU further alleged that the ongoing hostage crisis involving 14 Kuki-Zo civilians in Senapati district was being used as a means to divert attention from the killing of three Kuki-Zo church leaders on May 13, 2026. According to the committee, the NSCN-IM and its alleged proxy, ZUF (Kamson), were responsible for those killings.
The committee stated that the detention of the 14 Kuki-Zo civilians for nearly a month had drawn the intervention of the Chief Minister of Nagaland as well as several Baptist church bodies in the Northeast, which, it said, had worked towards securing their safe release. CoTU claimed that the release of the hostages had been scheduled for May 31 in the presence of church leaders, public representatives and members of the media.
However, the committee alleged that the proposed release was disrupted following public protests in Senapati, which it claimed were incited by certain sections of the Naga community through the Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA). The CoTU further alleged that these actions undermined the decision of the United Naga Council (UNC), which it described as the apex Naga body.
The committee also claimed that certain Tangkhul Naga groups had attempted to mobilize the wider Naga community against the Kuki-Zo community through a series of incidents, including the Litan-Sareikhong incident, the killing of the three church leaders, and the hostage crisis in Senapati. According to the CoTU, a motor rally organized from Ukhrul to Khonsakhul in Kangpokpi by members of the Tangkhul Katamnao was further evidence that the attack on Loibol village had been premeditated.
The CoTU additionally criticized a statement issued by the Rongmei Naga Council on June 5, alleging that the council had failed to condemn the attack and had instead blamed Kuki underground groups for the violence. The committee described the statement as inappropriate given the prevailing situation.
Expressing condolences to the families of the deceased, the committee identified the victims as Letkhongam Haokip, son of Manglun; Tinmary Haokip, wife of Letkhongam Haokip; and Jangminlal Haokip, son of Seikhohao Haokip, all residents of Loibol village.
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The CoTU urged the Government of India to take immediate action against armed Naga militants and alleged that such groups were operating freely and attempting to create hostility among communities in the hill districts. The committee also demanded that those responsible for the Loibol incident be brought to justice without delay.
CoTU on Saturday also organized a coffin rally to mourn the four civilians killed in the recent violence and to draw attention to what it described as the continuing security challenges faced by the Kuki-Zo community since the outbreak of ethnic conflict in May 2023. According to COTU, the rally was a symbolic gesture aimed at appealing to both the nation and the international community to take note of the community’s plight and security concerns.
Speaking on the occasion, CoTU spokesperson Ng Lun Kipgen said the latest incident was particularly alarming as it came barely a month after the killing of three Kuki-Zo church leaders. He stated that the recurring attacks should be treated as a serious security concern not only by the state government but also by the Government of India.
The spokesperson further said that lasting peace and normalcy in the region would depend on addressing security vulnerabilities affecting all communities. He maintained that despite the recent killings, the Kuki-Zo community had responded with restraint and dignity rather than agitation, and urged the authorities to strengthen security measures in vulnerable areas. He also cautioned that efforts to restore a popular government in Manipur would be ineffective unless the safety and security concerns of all communities were adequately addressed.