Nepal gov't, Maoists to sign arms management deal today
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Nov 6, IRNA
Nepal-Gov't-Rebels
The Nepalese government and Maoists have finally reached a much-awaited understanding on modality of weapons management.
Following their understanding, top leaders of the seven-party alliance (SPA) and the Maoists are meeting at 4 pm today to conclude a detailed agreement on both arms and political issues.
Time permitting, the leaders are also expected to sign an agreement, Kantipur reported from Kathmandu.
"It's possible that we might sign an agreement tomorrow," Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Nepal's home minister and the government's chief negotiator.
According to the agreed modality, Maoist combatants will remain confined in cantonments in seven different places. Their weapons will be removed from their possession and locked in storages within the designated cantonments. The keys of the locks will remain with the Maoist leadership but the UN will monitor the locks through close circuit camera. Moreover, the locks will have a sensor device.
The government, Maoists and UN officials will meet soon after the SPA and Maoists sign an agreement and decide on the technical details of the sensor device.
Deputy Commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Barsa Man Pun said about 35,000 of their combatants will remain in seven cantonments. Each cantonment will have a PLA division comprising about 5,000 combatants.
A team of UN experts and Maoists will soon travel to different parts of the country to identify areas for setting up cantonments as well as study their feasibility.
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