![[Nepal] As part of the arms management following the peace agreement, Maoist combatants have been confined in cantonment sites such as this in Surkhet, 700 km west of the capital, where the UN monitors will be watching them closely. [Date picture taken: 0](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/2007150.jpg.webp?itok=pflMcrfW "UN arms monitors to begin work next week")
The first batch of United Nations arms monitors are to begin their work in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, and the southwestern border city of Nepalganj, on Monday, Ian Martin, personal representative of the UN Secretary-General, confirmed on Friday.
The monitors have been given the task of overseeing the disarmament of rebel Maoist fighters following November’s peace deal between the rebels and the multi-party government.
The agreement ended ten years of conflict in which more than 14,000 people were killed, and upwards of 200,000 Nepalese were internally displaced.
The agreement was reached between the UN, Nepal’s seven-party government and Maoist representatives, who will join a transitional government ahead of planned elections.
Around 13 UN arms monitors have already arrived in Nepal, and are undergoing training ahead of their work in the capital and Nepalganj (600 km from Kathmandu).
“We expect further arrivals every few days, and the balance of the 35 already authorised will undertake training next week, and will be available for deployment from 15 January,” said Martin.
As part of the disarmament programme, the UN has brought in storage containers, which are currently being stored in six different sites across the Himalayan country. The United Nations Development Programme will later begin the task of registering the weapons, and later, combatants.
Meanwhile, the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC), comprising representatives from the Maoist Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA), the Nepal Army (NA), and the UN, has already agreed to the recruitment of 111 members for the Interim Task Force (ITF).
As part of the tripartite agreement, the ITF was created to hire Nepalese ex-servicemen from the Indian and British armies to enable 24-hour security at the weapons storage sites.
The ITF - whose activities will be coordinated through the UN and other parties - will be phased out once the deployment of the UN monitors reaches the required capacity, said Martin.
The country’s elections are scheduled for June. Martin said that his office will assist with voter education from next week.
nn/ds/jm
The monitors have been given the task of overseeing the disarmament of rebel Maoist fighters following November’s peace deal between the rebels and the multi-party government.
The agreement ended ten years of conflict in which more than 14,000 people were killed, and upwards of 200,000 Nepalese were internally displaced.
The agreement was reached between the UN, Nepal’s seven-party government and Maoist representatives, who will join a transitional government ahead of planned elections.
Around 13 UN arms monitors have already arrived in Nepal, and are undergoing training ahead of their work in the capital and Nepalganj (600 km from Kathmandu).
“We expect further arrivals every few days, and the balance of the 35 already authorised will undertake training next week, and will be available for deployment from 15 January,” said Martin.
As part of the disarmament programme, the UN has brought in storage containers, which are currently being stored in six different sites across the Himalayan country. The United Nations Development Programme will later begin the task of registering the weapons, and later, combatants.
Meanwhile, the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC), comprising representatives from the Maoist Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA), the Nepal Army (NA), and the UN, has already agreed to the recruitment of 111 members for the Interim Task Force (ITF).
As part of the tripartite agreement, the ITF was created to hire Nepalese ex-servicemen from the Indian and British armies to enable 24-hour security at the weapons storage sites.
The ITF - whose activities will be coordinated through the UN and other parties - will be phased out once the deployment of the UN monitors reaches the required capacity, said Martin.
The country’s elections are scheduled for June. Martin said that his office will assist with voter education from next week.
nn/ds/jm
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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