| Home > South-Asia >> Nepal | |
UN wants mission in Nepal to wrap up work by July
Associated Press - January 23, 2009
Edith M. Lederer, United Nations – The UN Security Council extended the mandate of a scaled-back UN peace-building mission in Nepal on Friday to help integrate Maoist rebel fighters and monitor arms, but said it wants the work wrapped up in six months.
A resolution adopted unanimously by the council would maintain 73 arms monitors but abolish most of the 18 remaining civilian posts in the poor Himalayan nation.
Council members established the mission in January 2007 to monitor and help enforce a peace accord between the government and Maoist rebels that ended a decade-long insurgency that killed more than 13,000 people.
The council welcomed the formation of a democratically elected government and institutions in Nepal and the recent establishment of a special committee to supervise and rehabilitate rebels. It urged the government and all political parties to work together to ensure fighters are reintegrated into society.
In a report earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said it will not be easy to reach consensus in Nepal because of substantial differences among the political parties, and sometimes within the parties, and between the approaches favored by the rebels and by the army.
"The integration and rehabilitation of Maoist army personnel is critical to sustainable peace, but it is only one of the challenges facing Nepal," Ban said.
Ban said Nepal must also implement other commitments in the peace agreement, improve security, heal "wounds of the conflict," reach consensus in drafting a constitution, "and above all, sustain sufficient cooperation among major political forces while those challenges are addressed."
The Security Council had hoped to wrap up the UN mission this month, but Ban said senior Nepalese officials were looking to the United Nations to assist the special committee in integrating and rehabilitating the Maoist soldiers.
Members endorsed Ban's recommendation to extend the mission until July 23, at a reduced size.
The council urged all parties "to take full advantage of the expertise and readiness" of the UN mission to support the peace process. It said Nepal's government should "continue to take the necessary decisions" so the mission can complete its activities in the additional six months.
See also:
 |