Annan vows help to bolster peace pact in Nepal

United Nations, Nov 23: Secretary-General Kofi Annan has pledged UN assistance to build on a peace accord signed between the Nepalese government and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) for ending the decade-long insurgency that has killed about 15,000 people and uprooted more than 1,00,000.

''This agreement places great trust and responsibility on the United Nations as it asks that we assist Nepal in various aspects of the peace process, including as an immediate step the monitoring of arms and armed personnel and providing electoral assistance,'' Mr Annan said in a statement issued yesterday by his spokesman.

''Through ending the armed conflict, the people of Nepal now have the opportunity to build lasting peace in an inclusive democracy.'' Mr Annan, through his personal representative in Nepal Ian Martin, said he was working closely with the parties to ensure that UN assistance ''can arrive as promptly as possible.'' Mr Martin attended the signing ceremony in Kathmandu on Tuesday calling the pact entirely a Nepali achievement.

He said his office had reached agreement with both sides on the location of seven divisional cantonment sites for the People's Liberation Army, the Maoists' armed wing.

UNI

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