Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Archdiocese of Inphal
Imphal (Fides News Agency) - There is no peace in Manipur. According to local Fides sources, the state is experiencing a new escalation of instability and protests demanding the release of 14 Kuki and 6 Naga hostages, abducted by armed groups, amidst chaos and social tensions. Roadblocks and protests are underway in several areas, and traffic on highways in the hilly districts has been disrupted. The hostage crisis between the Naga and Kuki-Zo communities is now in its second week and has not yet been resolved, despite negotiations, mediation efforts by religious leaders, and operations by security forces.
The crisis began after an ambush on a convoy of Baptist pastors and the murder of three pastors: Vumthang Sitlhou, Reverend Kaigoulun Lhouvum, and Pastor Paogoulen Sitlhou (see Fides, 13/5/2026). The subsequent kidnappings, carried out in retaliation, demonstrate how quickly the situation deteriorated into widespread instability. Despite the attacks they have suffered, Christian religious leaders have been directly involved in the crisis, which involves civilian hostages from both communities, alongside tribal organizations, civil society groups, local authorities, and security forces, to mediate the release of the abductees. Meanwhile, investigations continue to find those responsible for the ambush and the murder of the three pastors. Currently, the attackers have not yet been identified, and the reasons for this massacre, which targeted people deeply committed to peace and reconciliation, remain unclear.
Five people wounded in the ambush are still hospitalized in Imphal. This attack raises serious concerns about the safety of religious leaders operating in an area of open conflict, "as Christian communities committed to peace face increasing vulnerability," a local priest told Fides. "Right now," he noted, "it is essential to protect religious leaders engaged in reconciliation within the inter-ethnic conflict between the Kuki, Meitei, and Naga ethnic groups." Manipur has been gripped by a conflict since 2023 that initially pitted the Kuki and Meitei groups against each other, and has since expanded to include the Naga. (PA) (Fides News Agency, 26/5/2026)
