Nov 17, 2006

ARMS MANAGEMENT

Evolving Process

As the government and the Maoists are engaged in attaining credible arms management with the help of UN experts, the key word is sincerity

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

According to the November 8 agreement between the SPA government and the Maoists, the latter have agreed for a unique model of arms management. Its arms will be stored under a single lock system and the key will remain with Maoist commander.

Joint team inspect proposed sites : Start of difficult process

Although many see this would hurt the credibility of the whole process, it all depends on the sincerity of the Maoists. "If they are sincere, even putting it under a single lock will suffice. If they are not sincere, even ten locks would not work," said a military analyst.

The agreement states that as per the commitments expressed in the letter sent to the United Nations by the Nepal government and the Maoists on August 9, the combatants of the Maoists would be sent to seven main cantonments. The United Nations would do the necessary verification and monitoring of them. The main camps would be located at Kailali, Surkhet, Rolpa, Palpa, Kavre, Sindhuli and Ilam. There would be three smaller camps located in the periphery of each of these main camps

"All the arms and ammunitions would be securely stored in the camps except those needed for providing security of the camp after the Maoist combatants are sent to the cantonments. They will be put under a single lock system and the concerned side would keep the key of this lock. For the UN to monitor it, a device with siren as well as recording facility will be installed. On completion of cantonment of the Maoist combatants, Nepal government would take up the responsibility for providing ration and other facilities to them," states the agreement.

Likewise, it states that the interim cabinet would form a special committee to carry out monitoring, integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants

Regarding the Nepali Army, the agreement states that they would be confined to the barracks as per the commitments of the letter sent to the United Nations. "Guarantee that its arms would not be used for or against any side. Keep similar quantity of arms of the Nepali Army in the store, seal it with single-lock system and give the key to the concerned side. For the UN to monitor it, a device with siren as well as recording facility will be installed," it further states.

The government, the Maoists and the UN team have already started visiting the proposed locations for cantonments. "A UN team led by General Jan Erik Wilhemsen has traveled with a joint team of Government/Nepalese Army and CPN (Maoist)/People's Liberation Army representatives to inspect cantonment sites proposed by the PLA. The joint team traveled to Ilam on Saturday, to Sindhuli and Kavre on Sunday, and on Monday visited Rolpa and Palpa, and will continue to Kailiai and Surkhet on Tuesday," states a press release by the office of Ian Martin, the personal representative of Kofi Annan.

The teams have inspected Chulachuli area in Ilam; Dudhauli (Ratmate) area in Sindhuli; Kamidanda in Kavre; Chirithung in Palpa and Dahaban-Nuwagaon in Rolpa district. They will finalize the sites under mutual understanding.

Meanwhile, the UN officials have called for a tripartite agreement. Secretary General Kofi Annan's personal representative in Nepal, Ian Martin, has said the UN monitoring teams – which is reported to be around 200-member strong - will come here and begin their work once a detailed agreement on the modality of management of arms and combatants is reached. "We need a detailed agreement on the modality of management of arms and armed personnel," said Martin at a press conference. "Trained international observers having military background will be involved in the monitoring," he said, adding that the observers will be unarmed.

"Negotiations have begun on a tripartite agreement - between the UN, the Government and the CPN (Maoist) - on the modalities for management of arms and armed personnel. UN experts in logistics and communications have arrived in Nepal to assist planning for the UN mission to support the peace process, and joined the teams visiting proposed cantonment sites on Monday. Urgent discussions are taking place in New York to mandate and prepare the mission," the statement by Martin's Office on Monday reads.

As efforts intensify to meet the deadline of sending Maoist combatants to cantonments by November 26, sincerity on the part of signatories of the agreement, particularly the rebels, will determine whether the peace process will move ahead successfully.