Nepal to use Gurkhas for initial arms monitoring

Kathmandu, Dec 22: The Nepali government and Maoist rebels will employ retired Gurkha soldiers to begin verifying arms until a full United Nations monitoring mission arrives, both sides have said.

The two sides signed a landmark peace deal last month declaring an end to a decade-old conflict in which more than 13,000 people were killed and thousands displaced.

The deal envisages the Maoists joining an interim government after storing their weapons under UN locks ahead of next year's elections for a constituent assembly to map Nepal's political future and decide the fate of the monarchy, which the Maoists want abolished.

The UN says some monitors could arrive this month but a full mission will take some time. Nepali officials say it could take two months to put in place a complete international team.

''We have reached an understanding to use 111 (Gurkha) soldiers who have retired from the Indian and British armies in the past three years to assist the UN to begin arms monitoring,'' Krishna Prasad Situala, government negotiator and Home (interior) Minister, told reporters after a meeting with Maoists late yesterday.

Thousands of Gurkha soldiers, a fighting tribe from Nepal's Himalayan foothills known for their fierce combat abilities, serve the Indian army under an agreement between the two countries.

Gurkhas have also been serving in the British army for nearly 200 years.

Chief rebel negotiator Krishna Bahadur Mahara said the recruitment of the Gurkhas would begin soon and the verification of weapons could start within 10 days.

Maoists say slow management of arms would delay the planned elections for the assembly - their long running demand to end the anti-monarchy insurgency.

Ian Martin, personal representative of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to Nepal's peace process, said at the weekend that the interim option of using Gurkhas could allow the verification of arms to start early.

The UN would explore coordinating with the Gurkhas to provide a 24-hour presence at the weapons storage sites while the UN builds up its own team, Martin said.

Maoists say 35,000 members of their ''People's Liberation Army'' had been housed in 28 camps across the mainly mountainous nation as part of the peace deal.

REUTERS

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