Nepal seeks term extension of U.N. peace mission

KATHMANDU, Dec. 14 Kyodo -
Nepal has sent a formal request to the U.N. Security Council to extend the
mandate of its peace mission in the country by another six months, the
Kathmandu Post reported Sunday.
The newspaper said Nepal's permanent representative to the United Nations Madhu
Raman Acharya presented the request to Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on Friday.
The U.N. chief is expected to forward the request to the Security Council next
month.
The mandate of the mission that was established in 2007 to principally monitor
arms and armies of the state and the former rebel Communist Party of Nepal
(Maoist) is set to expire in January.
A request for extension was widely expected as the rehabilitation and
integration into society of some 19,000 former rebel fighters has yet to
happen.
If agreed, this will be the third six-month extension of the mission. The first
term was for a year.
Nepal's 10-year insurgency ended in 2006 when Maoist rebels joined a peace
process with mainstream political parties.
The insurgency cost the country more than 13,000 dead.
The former rebel party emerged as the surprise winner in a special assembly
election held last April and it now leads the coalition government and
dominates the legislature.
==Kyodo