A breakaway faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) on Thursday abrogated its decision to revoke a unilateral ceasefire with the Centre with immediate effect, PTI reported.

At a press conference in Kohima, the faction’s Chairperson Khango Konyak and its general secretary Isak Sumi said they took the decision after consulting non-governmental organisations and civil society groups over the past month. The NSCN (K) had signed a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2001 but unilaterally revoked it three years back.

The militant organisation said the decision was taken also because of the “positive response” of the government towards continuing the ceasefire agreement. Konyak and Suni said they expect the Centre to “respond positively by honouring our decision to revive ceasefire in the interest of peace in Nagaland and Naga people in general”.

The NSCN (K) impeached Konyak at a meeting at the group’s headquarters in Myanmar in August for “violating party discipline”. He subsequently crossed the border into India.

The government entered negotiations with seven Naga militant groups in 2017 but the NSCN (K) was not part of these talks as it had abrogated the ceasefire agreement.