A new year dawned in revolt-torn Nepal yesterday amid growing fears of fresh violence as the Maoist rebels' unilateral truce neared its end. The rebel ceasefire, first announced for three months in September and later extended for another month under popular pressure, is due to expire at midnight on Monday.King Gyanendra, who seized absolute power 11 months ago, has refused to match the truce while the guerrillas have accused his royalist government of provoking them to break it.
| "Oh, we're so provoked!" |
The truce neared its end amid unconfirmed reports that the Maoists, who hold sway in the countryside, were now setting their sights on the high-security capital, Kathmandu, which has so far been spared major attacks. The rebels are fighting to establish one-party communist rule in the mountainous Himalayan nation.
On Friday, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed concern that fighting could resume and urged the government to join the ceasefire. Annan also called on the rebels to extend the truce, saying that the people had benefited from the de-escalation of violence in the last four months.
| Attaboy, Kofi. Just jump in there and solve problems like you always do. |
"Continued refusal by the state to reciprocate the ceasefire would not only discredit it further but establish that it is the government which is more responsible for the possible resumption of conflict and the likely bloodshed," Ghimire said.
| I think we know which side Mr. Ghimire is on. |