Nepal's government has asked the United Nations to once again extend its mission monitoring the peace process that ended the Himalayan nation's 10-year communist rebellion, officials said Wednesday.
The mission was established in January 2007 to track the fragile process that started the year before when Maoist rebels gave up their armed revolt to focus on entering mainstream politics. The original yearlong mission has been extended several times.
Foreign secretary Madan Bhattarai said Wednesday that a formal request has been sent to U.N. headquarters in New York asking the observers to stay until May 15.
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The Maoists contested elections in 2008, where they won the most seats in the national assembly. But they later resigned following a dispute over what to do with the thousands of former rebel fighters living in U.N.-monitored camps.
The Maoists want the ex-combatants to be integrated in the national army but other political parties are against the idea.
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The U.N. is also in charge of guarding the Maoist's weapons, which were locked away in metal containers as part of the peace process.
Last week, several former child soldiers were freed from one of them camps in southern Nepal.














