ASSAM,NAGALAND SIGN AGREEMENT TO DE-ESCALATE TENSE SITUATION

DIMAPUR/GUWAHATI: The Chief Secretaries of Assam and Nagaland on Saturday signed an agreement to de-escalate tense situation prevailing at two locations in the Dessoi valley forest/ Tsurangkong valley by simultaneously withdrawing security forces within the next 24-hours.

The agreement was signed following a meeting between Assam chief secretary Jishnu Barua and his Nagaland counterpart J Alam at Dimapur in the presence of Nagaland deputy chief minister Y Patton and Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu. Both sides agreed that in order to maintain peace and tranquillity in the areas around Ao Senden village and Vikuto village ,as they are known in Nagaland and called Jankhona Nala / Nagajankha and Compartment No. 12 in Assam, urgent and effective steps are required for defusing the standoff.

“In this regard, it is decided that the security personnel of both states shall simultaneously move back from their present locations to their respective base camps.The simultaneous withdrawal of the security personnel shall begin immediately and shall be completed in the next 24 hours as far as possible,” said the agreement.

Nagaland and Assam shall monitor the area by surveillance using UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and satellite imagery to maintain the status quo. The meeting also decided that the Superintendents of Police of the districts of Mokokchung (Nagaland) and Jorhat (Assam) shall ensure orderly withdrawal of their respective forces and shall be responsible for it.