Ending years of uncertainty, Nepal’s political leaders agreed earlier this month to conclude the stalled peace process by integrating 19,000 Maoist combatants into security forces or rehabilitating them.
Ending years of uncertainty, Nepal’s political leaders agreed earlier this month to conclude the stalled peace process by integrating 19,000 Maoist combatants into security forces or rehabilitating them.
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Now it’s turn of the combatants to spell out what they want.
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“Starting Saturday morning, surveyors began categorising them as per their choice,” informed Madhab Ghimire spokesperson for the special committee meant to oversee the integration and rehabilitation process.
The combatants who have been living in seven cantonments spread across Nepal since the 2006 peace deal have the options of joining the security forces, voluntary retirement or rehabilitation.
As per the deal signed on November 1, 6,500 combatants are to be integrated into security forces and the rest given a compensation package between NRs 600,000 to NRs 900,000 spread over three years.
The categorisation process is not expected to be entirely smooth as some combatants of hardliner faction of Maoists are unhappy with the deal and are opposing it. Surveyors are expected to complete the task by November 28.
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