National 3 (Spotlight Weekly)

Friends in Need

Like a true friend, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan expresses concern over Nepal situation

By A CORRESPONDENT

Annan : Show of conern

With good intention and keeping in mind Nepal’s situation, UN secretary general’s recent remarks have shown that there are many people in the world who want to see peace in Nepal.

Following the Beni attack, UN secretary general Annan has offered his good offices to take necessary steps to bring long lasting peace in Nepal. His appeal to end the war in Nepal clearly indicates that there are people around the world who are closely watching the development here.

Thanks to the notice of the world body and international community, Nepal has been receiving different kinds of technical as well as financial support through UN agencies. The call from secretary general Annan, who had visited Nepal a few years ago, will definitely help increase UN assistance in Nepal including in conflict prone zones.

The UN secretary general’s concern also shows that not only other powerful countries like United States of America, United Kingdom, countries of European Union and Nepal’s two neighbors India and China, but the UN body as well is closely monitoring Nepal’s Maoist activities.

Following the offer from Annan, Nepal can seek UN support in mobilizing more development assistance and in coordinating them.

Responding to the call of the United Nations, the government has already made it clear that they want to use the UN good office in aid coordination but not in mediation. “We don’t need any UN mediation to start the negotiations with the Maoists. We are ourselves capable to resolve it,” said Minister of Home Kamal Thapa.

As far as the type of UN mediation is concerned, it is a more complicated issue vis-à-vis Nepal’s geographical location, which would not easily permit the role of multilateral agencies in mediation. Nepal’s two neighbors China and influential southern neighbor India have clearly pointed out that Nepalese are, themselves, capable in solving the problems.

Nepal’s northern neighbor China has a clear stand regarding third party’s mediation. “We hold the view that the problems now being faced by Nepal are the internal affairs of Nepal, and we believe that Nepal has full capability and wisdom to solve its own problems and restore peace, stability and economic development,” said Sun Heping, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal in his interview to People’s Review (March 25-31).

Although some of the leading Indian newspapers are supporting the UN mediation role in Nepal’s ongoing conflict, Indian government’s support to any mediation to Maoist problem could cause trouble for herself given various ongoing insurgency and secessionist movements within India.

“If Nepal accepts UN mediation, insurgents and separatists groups from Kashmir to Northeast India may demand UN mediations citing Nepal’s example,” said a former senior diplomat. “Unlike other countries of the world, for Nepal UN mediation is easier said than done. It is a complicated and a sensitive matter in the long run not only for Nepal but for the region as a whole.”

Moreover, United Nation’s mediation, does not have a good record in settling conflicts since there are only a few cases where UN mediators were successful to end the disputes. From Middle East to Afghanistan and other parts of the world, the UN mediations have not desirably worked.

Nepal must take serious note of the concern shown by UN secretary general Annan urging him to mobilize more funds and make available experts in the area of reconstruction of local infrastructures.