Special Correspondent
Ukhrul, May 5:
The United Naga Council (UNC) has raised a grave warning over the deteriorating security situation in Southern Nagalim, alleging sustained armed aggression against Naga villages and calling for urgent collective action to safeguard ancestral land and identity.
In an appeal to the President of All Tribe Hohos of Nagaland on May 3, the UNC stated that the Naga people are confronting what it termed an “undeclared war” unfolding across Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, particularly in Ukhrul, Chandel, Tamenglong and the undivided Senapati districts.
The council recalled that when ethnic violence broke out between Meiteis and Kukis on May 3, 2023, Nagas maintained neutrality and extended humanitarian assistance to displaced persons from both communities. According to the statement, Naga villages opened their homes as safe havens, providing shelter, food, medicine and relief without discrimination during the peak of the crisis.
However, the UNC alleged that the present situation represents a dramatic reversal, claiming that several Naga villages are now facing targeted attacks from armed cadres operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.
Tracing the escalation of tensions to the arson incident at Litan on February 8, 2026, the UNC claimed that repeated firing incidents have since occurred from neighbouring Kuki villages into Naga ancestral areas. Villages including Sakarphung, Litan, Thoyee, Sinakeithei and Ringui were cited as facing continued threats and attacks, with Sinakeithei described as bearing the brunt of ongoing violence.
The UNC characterised the situation not merely as a law-and-order problem but as a challenge to Naga historical identity and territorial rights. The statement warned that attempts to distort Naga history and weaken claims over ancestral lands could have long-term political consequences for the community.
“Our ancestral domains are the covenant of our forefathers,” the council said, asserting that any loss of land would amount to a loss of the Naga nation’s future.
Calling upon tribal hohos across Nagaland, the UNC urged unity beyond tribal or geographical divisions, stressing that an attack on any Naga village should be viewed as an injury to the entire Naga people. The council appealed for documentation of incidents, public awareness campaigns, and mobilization through churches and community institutions to highlight the situation at regional and international platforms.
Warning of wider repercussions, the UNC said failure to act collectively could allow the conflict to spread beyond current flashpoints. “If the fire at our doorstep today is ignored, it may reach every Naga doorstep tomorrow,” the statement cautioned.
The council further appealed to the international community, human rights organisations and indigenous peoples’ forums to closely monitor developments in Southern Nagalim. It alleged that indigenous populations were facing displacement amid continued violence and questioned the effectiveness of existing ceasefire arrangements meant to ensure peace.