Reports of fresh recruitment by Nepalese army and Maoists spark UN concern

The United Nations mission in Nepal today expressed deep concern at reports that both the national army and the Maoist army plan to begin recruiting new people, which would constitute a violation of the 2006 peace pact that ended the country’s decade-long civil war.

Fresh recruitment by either party would also violate the arms agreement signed by the two parties, said the mission, known as UNMIN, which was set up to support Nepal’s peace process and whose tasks include monitoring the management of arms and armed personnel of both the Maoists and the Nepal Army, as well as in assisting in monitoring ceasefire arrangements.

“UNMIN’s position remains that any recruitment by either the Nepal Army or the Maoist army constitutes a breach of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Agreement on the Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies (AMMAA),” the mission said in a statement.

The mission recalled that recruiting any personnel, including for the purpose of filling vacancies, is prohibited under the arms agreement, unless it has been agreed between the parties.

It added that any proposed recruitment should be referred for approval to the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC) – the body chaired by UNMIN that includes members of both the Nepal Army and the Maoist army and is responsible for supervising compliance by the parties with the AMMAA.

UNMIN has written to the Government and the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M), advising them “to respect past agreements and to act in this matter with good faith.”