A rebel group in the Indian state of Assam signs a peace accord with the government

By ASHOK SHARMA and WASBIR HUSSAIN
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — A rebel group that fought for decades to free India’s northeastern state of Assam from New Delhi’s rule has signed a peace accord with the government pledging to end the insurgency in the region. The United Liberation Front of Asom, or ULFA, led by Arabinda Rajkhowa, concluded 12 years of negotiations with the Indian government. The signing ceremony in New Delhi was attended by India’s home minister and the top elected official of Assam state. However, the group’s hard-line faction, led by Paresh Baruah, is not part of the agreement. Baruah is believed to be hiding somewhere along the China-Myanmar border, the Press Trust of India news agency said. ULFA, formed in 1979 demanding a “sovereign Assam,” was banned by India in 1990.