Nepalese government seeks extension of UN peace mission

Jul 9, 2009, 4:04 GMT

   Kathmandu - The Nepalese government has formally asked the United Nations to extend the term of its peace mission to the Himalayan nation by another six months, media reports said Thursday.

   The request came two weeks before the term of the United Nations Mission in Nepal is due expire on July 23.

   In a letter to the UN, the Nepalese government said the mission should be extended by another six months to complete the peace process that began a little more than two and half years ago, the Kantipur newspaper reported.

   The letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also said the extension should be seen as a final chance for the country to complete the peace process, which brought a decade-long Maoist insurgency to an end.

   The extension would be the fourth since the mission established an office in the country in January 2007.

   A final decision on the extension was expected to be taken at a July 20 meeting of the Security Council, the newspaper said.

   The mission is responsible for monitoring Maoist weapons that have been stored in sealed containers under its supervision. It also monitors the movement of Maoist former combatants who are confined in 28 camps spread across the country.

   In December, the United Nations had asked the Nepalese political parties and the government to take the peace process to a conclusion within the stipulated time.

   A UN report had then said it was difficult to repeatedly extend the term of the UN mission.

   The Nepalese government and the Maoists in November 2006 signed a formal peace deal to end their conflict, which left nearly 14,000 people dead. Under the deal, the Maoists entered mainstream politics and gave up fighting.