Nepal urges Madhesi rebels to join peace talks

NEPAL: Nepal’s government on Saturday told Madhesi rebel groups operating in the southern plains of the Himalayan country to join peace talks within two weeks or face a police crackdown.

Madhesis dominate the Terai, a narrow strip of fertile plains considered to be impoverished Nepal’s food basket and home to nearly half of its 26 million people.

Scores of people have died this year in violence by small armed groups and in protests by an ethnic Madhesi group, which is demanding more government jobs, seats in parliament and autonomy for the Terai region.

“We have to solve all problems in 10 to 15 days,” Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula told reporters. “Therefore, the government offers special invitation to everybody including the Madhesi and other rebel groups to come for peace talks.”

He said “police have already been given strict instructions to take stern action” against anyone ignoring the appeal.

The violence in Terai has cast a shadow over a peace deal between the government and the former Maoist rebels which ended a decade-long civil war that killed over 13,000 people.

The Maoists have joined an interim government which plans to hold elections a constituent assembly in November and prepare a new constitution which will decide the fate of the monarchy, which the Maoists want abolished.

But politicians say continued unrest in the Terai plains could jeopardise the November polls which will be Nepal’s first national elections in more than eight years.

Kathmandu, Sunday, Reuters