Guwahati A leading separatist group from Nagaland and the Indian government on Monday agreed to extend their nine-year-old truce by another year after three days of marathon talks in Bangkok, a rebel spokesman said.
"It was agreed to extend the ceasefire by another year until August 1 2007," said a joint statement by the Indian government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM).
The ceasefire is due to expire on Monday midnight.
Minister without portfolio Oscar Fernandes and New Delhi's main peace negotiator K. Padmanabhaiah, a former union home secretary, led the government side to the talks. The NSCN-IM was led by its general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah.
"Substantive issues were discussed and the two sides expressed satisfaction over the progress made in the talks," the statement signed by Muivah and Padmanabhaiah said.
The NSCN-IM, led by leaders Isak Chishi Swu and Muivah, threatened last week not to extend the ceasefire and accused the army of supplying weapons to a rival rebel outfit to provoke a "fratricidal war".
"The two sides agreed to strengthen the ceasefire monitoring mechanism and the need to move expeditiously in discussing substantive issues to reach an early settlement," the statement said.
The rebel leaders were tight-lipped about the outcome of the talks and the issues discussed.
"We are hopeful of a solution and it is good the ceasefire was extended," a senior rebel leader told IANS over phone from Bangkok.
In Nagaland, the news of truce extension was hailed.
There was a proposal to extend the truce for an unlimited period. "There was a proposal no doubt, but then it was later decided to extend the ceasefire by one more year," the rebel leader said.
The main NSCN-IM rebel group wants a "greater Nagaland" to unite 1.2 million Nagas, a demand strongly opposed by neighbouring states.
New Delhi and the NSCN-IM have held at least 50 rounds of negotiations in the past nine years in a bid to end one of South Asia's oldest revolts, which has claimed around 25,000 lives since India's independence in 1947.
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