Ban welcomes agreement on outstanding issues of Nepal’s peace process

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the agreement reached among Nepal’s political parties on resolving the outstanding issues related to the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants and the drafting of a new constitution.

The leaders of the country’s four main parties reportedly agreed late Tuesday to integrate one-third of around 19,000 former Maoist rebels into the army and the remainder will receive monetary compensation.

The South Asian nation has been trying to work out the remaining aspects of the peace process that in 2007 ended the decade-long civil war between Government forces and Maoists that claimed 13,000 lives.

Mr. Ban welcomed the agreement in a statement issued by his spokesperson, adding that he is also encouraged by the decision to establish the transitional justice mechanisms that had been agreed on in the comprehensive peace accord that ended the conflict.

“The Secretary-General commends Nepal’s political leaders for having worked in a spirit of compromise and consensus to reach this agreement,” said the statement.

“He urges them to sustain this spirit of cooperation and to speedily implement the commitments they have made.”

Nepal has been plagued by political disputes since the conflict ended and the monarchy was abolished. Several deadlines to draft a new constitution have been missed.