Kathmandu, August 26: Maoists are obstructing the release of thousands of child soldiers, Nepalese government said today, even as it criticised the UN for its failure to prevent the former rebels from coming out of the camps with lethal weapons.
“Maoists are obstructing the process of discharging the disqualified combatants from the cantonments,” Nepalese Peace Minister Rakam Chemjong said.
Almost 24,000 former Maoist fighters are confined to camps around the country as part of the 2006 peace agreement that followed the end of Nepal’s bloody 10-year civil war.
According to checks by the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) 2,973 combatants were minors when the war ended while another 1,035 were not genuine fighters.
“There has been no progress on releasing the disqualified combatants from the camps. The Maoists are not cooperating with us,” Chemjong said.
The Maoists denied the allegations. “We are always ready for discussions to reach an understanding on this issue, but the government has not asked for any help,” said Chandra Khanal, deputy commander of the Maoists’ PLA.
The Minister also criticised the UNMIN for not able to prevent armed Maoist combatants coming out of the camps.
As the UNMIN hasn’t been effectively monitoring the cantonments, the acts of Maoist combatants venturing out of the cantonments has increased,” he said, citing 19 Maoist combatants leaving their cantonment in Kapilvastu on Monday with weapons.
—Agencies