The rebel United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), the state government of Assam, and the Indian government signed a peace agreement on Friday, aiming to end over 40 years of insurgency. ULFA leader Arabinda Rajkhowa, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Union Minister Amit Shah were all present during the signing of the memorandum.

The ULFA was formed in 1979, originally advocating and fighting for the “restoration of Assam’s sovereignty” or greater state autonomy. However, the death of the militant leader of the United Front in 1991 caused a division of forces in the ULFA. In 2012, the ULFA underwent a formal split, and two factions emerged: the Anti-Talks faction (ULFA-ATF) and the Pro-Talks faction (ULFA-PTF). The ULFA-ATF renamed itself ULFA-Independent (ULFA-I) in 2013, and the ULFA-PTF is in talks with the government.

The ULFA was banned by the Indian government in 1990, and there were several violent encounters between the Indian military and the ULFA in the following years.

The Chief Minister (CM) of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, highlighted the importance of the memorandum in moving towards more peaceful approaches with other “separatist groups” in the region and “insurgent groups” in the state including the Bodo, Karbi, and Adivasi factions.

CM Sarma reassures that the government will be successful in dissolving the organization, surrendering weapons possessed and integrating the 729 members into the “mainstream” through this agreement.

However, ULFA-I, led by Paresh Barua, was excluded from the negotiations. Assam’s sovereignty is an issue that the anti-talks ULFA-I continues to press. Members of the party have been involved in violence across the region.