Nepal formally declared landmine-free

Jun 14, 2011, 15:11 GMT

Kathmandu - Nepal was formally declared a landmine-free nation Tuesday, as the government announced it had cleared all landmines planted by the army during the Maoist insurgency.

Clearing the landmines was one of the commitments in the peace deal signed in 2006.

The last remaining landmine planted by the Nepalese army - in Fulchowki, on the outskirts of Kathmandu - was cleared on Tuesday as a symbolic gesture. Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal declared the country free of landmines and said the achievement was an important part of the peace process.

Last week, Nepal's army announced it had completed destruction of landmines at 53 different locations across the country with the help of United National Mine Action Team.

The army began clearing the mines in October 2007. According to the peace deal, the mines should have been cleared within 60 days of signing the agreement.

The Maoists said they did not lay any mines during the conflict.

According to figures released by the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), four people were killed and 19 injured between January 2006 and June 2011 in landmine explosions.

The Maoists waged a decade-long insurgency that claimed more than 16,700 lives.

The Maoists, now the biggest party in the parliament, joined mainstream politics after the 2008 Constituent Assembly election.