Nepal: top UN official welcomes release of child soldiers by Maoists

The United Nations envoy for children and armed conflict today welcomed the beginning of the discharge of nearly 3,000 young people from the Maoist cantonments in Nepal.

The group discharged today is the first of over 4,000 people – including some 500 who are below the age of 18 – set to be released over the next 40 days. Nearly 3,000 of those disqualified were minors at the time of the ceasefire.

“Today, the minors who have spent the last three years in Maoist army cantonments with their lives on hold will finally be able to take the next step towards a more positive future,” said Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.

The discharge is part of an Action Plan signed in December by the UN, the Nepalese Government and Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M).

The young people will be given the opportunity to return to school or to gain new skills. The rehabilitation packages are provided by the Nepalese Government with the support of the UN.