Nepal has begun the process of freeing thousands of child soldiers from camps holding former Maoist rebel fighters, BBC online reports Friday.
Officials visited one of the camps in southern Nepal to brief the young people ahead of their planned transfer to rehabilitation programmes. They will be allowed to stay in specially-built transit camps for up to 45 days before returning home.
The release of the child soldiers is a key part of Nepals peace process. The UN welcomed the move as a “significant milestone” for the Himalayan nation.
Maoist rebels ended a 10-year armed insurgency in November 2006, signing a peace deal that brought them into the government. They won the most votes in elections in 2008, but then left the government earlier this year in a row over their leaders attempt to fire the army chief.
About 24.000 former fighters have been confined to UN-monitored camps since the peace deal was agreed. Of these, the UN has identified about 3.000 as being under the age of 18, as well as 1.000 as having joined the Maoists after the peace process began.
