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| Sunday, 17 July 2005 |
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Urgent solution needed to Maoist problem in Nepal KATHMANDU - (AFP) UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said Friday the Maoist crisis in Nepal was dire and called on the rebels and the government to do everything possible to find an urgent solution to restore peace. "One does not need to tell the people of Nepal that they are facing a very serious crisis, but it should be noted that a solution is not beyond reach," Brahimi told a press conference after a week-long fact-finding mission to the Himalayan nation. The UN envoy welcomed a Maoist offer for talks on resolving the country's crisis, but said the rebels must also end their violent campaign and lay down their weapons. "The commitment made by the Maoist leader Prachanda and the party leaders is a positive development in finding a solution to the prolonged Maoist problem. "We welcome it as a positive development and it should be backed up by giving up violence to resolve the crisis," he said. Later in the press conference, he added, "the Maoists should back up their actions by giving up arms, stopping violence and extortions." Maoist rebels have been fighting for a communist republic in Nepal since 1996 and the uprising has so far claimed nearly 12,000 lives. |
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