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 6 November 2009
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UN warns of risk of confrontation in Nepal

06/11/2009

The head of the United Nations mission in Nepal, Karin Landgren, warned on Friday that the protracted deadlock in the peace process in Nepal has a risk of confrontation.

Karin Landgren

Karin Landgren

Introducing the Secretary-General's report to the Security Council, she noted that three years have passed since the Government of Nepal and Maoist rebels signed an agreement that ended a 10-year conflict between them.

Ms. Landgren also said that 18 months since Nepal's historic elections, the country is facing an impasse following the decision of the President in May to revoke the Army Chief's dismissal.

The Maoist Unified Communist Party of Nepal stepped down from the Government and since then trust among the major parties has continued to dwindle, she added.

She told the Security Council that much of the past three months has offered the semblance of calm with a number of meetings among the large political parties and fewer street protests.

"Now, however, the Maoists, having found no resolution to their grievances, notably on the issue of the President's powers with regard to the Army, have stepped up their disruptive protests, and on 1 November initiated a nationwide protest programme. Talks between the parties are expected to continue but now, four months since Prime Minister Nepal and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda agreed formally to take measures to resolve the stalemate, their talks have remained inconclusive."

Ms. Landgren said the mandate of the UN mission in Nepal, originally designed for supporting the election of the Constituent Assembly cannot go on indefinitely.

Ms. Landgren said until the parties establish a clearer framework for cooperation and find ways of moving forward on major element of the peace process, it is difficult to plot a structured exit of the mission.

Gail Walker, United Nations Radio
(duration: 1'42")

Sound bites

Karin Landgren, head of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) cut 1

"Now, however, the Maoists, having found no resolution to their grievances, notably on the issue of the President's powers with regard to the Army, have stepped up their disruptive protests, and on 1 November initiated a nationwide protest programme. Talks between the parties are expected to continue but now, four months since Prime Minister Nepal and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda agreed formally to take measures to resolve the stalemate, their talks have remained inconclusive."
Duration: 00:00:28

Karin Landgren, head of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) cut 2

"While limited progress has been made in the effort to give renewed impetus to the remaining tasks of the peace process, overall, the process has faced protracted deadlock, with the added risk of confrontation. It is three years since the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed, and 18 months since Nepal's historic elections. The impasse that emerged following the events of May 2009, when the President revoked the Army Chief's dismissal, and consequently the Unified Communist Party of Nepal -Maoist (UCPN-M) stepped down from the government, remains unresolved. Despite continuing efforts, the level of trust among the major parties has continued to dwindle."
Duration: 00:00:46

Karin Landgren, head of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) cut 3

"While the Maoists protests have been predominantly peaceful, the past few days have seen low-level clashes between the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) and the Unified Maoist-Leninist (UML) Youth Force in some eastern districts. In my recent discussions with Maoist leadership, I have indicated how seriously we take the potential for confrontation and have urged restrained. In the current climate, these protest actions carry a significant risk of confrontation and violence."
Duration: 00:00:31

Karin Landgren, head of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) cut 4

"The government has placed the security agencies, reportedly including the Napal Army, on high alert. The 22 governing parties have warned that the agitations are a breach of the CPA. Some political actors have challenged the continued validity of the peace agreements. There is an urgent need to de-escalate the tensions and to find a framework for taking the peace process forward."
Duration: 00:00:25

Karin Landgren, head of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) cut 5

"The Maoists have blocked the functioning of the Legislature for all but one month since May, contending that the President's reinstatement of the Army Chief was unconstitutional. They have unsuccessfully called for Parliamentary discussion of the President's action, as well as measures to rule out a recurrence. It would appear to be in the interest of the democratic process for the parties to agree, pending the promulgation of the new constitution on the ambit of Presidential authority."
Duration: 00:00:30

Karin Landgren, head of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) cut 6

"The Maoists represent one party to the peace agreement and are the instrumental partner in the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist army personnel. They also hold close to 40 per cent of the seats in the Constituent Assembly, a decisive proportion in the context of the promulgation of a new constitution."
Duration: 00:00:21