The Union home ministry on Wednesday extended the ceasefire agreements between the Central government and three Naga groups by a year, an official statement said.

The pacts are signed with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-NK, National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Reformation and National Socialist Council of Nagaland K-Khango.

“It was decided to extend the ceasefire agreements for a further period of one year with effect from April 28, 2022 to April 27, 2023, with National Socialist Council of Nagaland-NK and National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Reformation and from April 18, 2022 to April 17, 2023 with National Socialist Council of Nagaland K-Khango,” it said.

The agreements were signed on Tuesday.

For over six decades, Naga nationalists have fought the Indian state for a sovereign ethnic homeland that would include Nagaland as well as the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar across the border. Over the decades, the Naga armed movement split into several factions.

In December 2020, a faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang had announced its decision to revive the ceasefire with the Centre and return to peace talks.

Niki Sumi, the group’s leader, said in a statement that the decision had been taken because of the civil society wanted a resolution of the Indo-Naga political problem.

On September 8, 2021, the Centre signed a ceasefire agreement with the Sumi-led faction, PTI reported.

Earlier in August 2015, the government had signed a framework agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IM group. This came after 80 rounds of negotiation talks spanning a period of 18 years, reported PTI.

The group has been demanding a separate Naga flag and constitution from the Centre.