Nagaon, Feb. 28: The anti-talks faction of the United People?s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) has agreed to initiate a dialogue with the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) if the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) acts as the mediator and guarantor in the peace process.
The Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills People?s Resistance ? the armed wing of the UPDS anti-talks faction ? today said the militant organisation was ready to accept the Kuki outfit?s offer for peace talks ?if the KRA accepts the NSCN (I-M) as the mediator?.
In a statement, the general secretary of the armed wing of the UPDS (anti-talk faction), H.E. Kathar, laid two other preconditions before the Kuki outfit.
He said the Kuki outfit should release nine Karbi villagers, abducted from the Thekerajan area in October last year, and stop the influx of Kukis into Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts.
?The confidence-building measures should be sufficient for the proposed peace talks. The Naga militant group might play a pivotal role in this connection,? Kathar said.
The Karbi militant organisation insisted that the NSCN (I-M) must persuade the Kukis to release the abducted villagers and assure that KRA militants would be flushed out of the two districts.
After bloody ethnic clashes for two months, the KRA invited the UPDS for talks in December last year. The Kuki outfit has reportedly declared that they were ready ?to accept a Karbi mediator? for the sake of peace in the strife-torn district. However, both factions of the UPDS had dismissed the offer and told the KRA to leave the two hill districts.
Altogether 46 people from six communities were killed and hundreds of houses burnt down in the clashes between the militant groups active in the area.