Vacuum as Unmin prepares for exit

• Even as the United Nations Mission in Nepal (Unmin) begins to pack up as its term ends on January 15, differences have sharpened among Nepali political forces on Unmin's future and alternative arrangements.
• The caretaker government led by Madhav Kumar Nepal has emphasised that it will not request the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for another extension. The UNSC had granted an extension to the U.N. mission "for the last time" in September. This had come right after a political agreement among Nepali forces to finish the remaining tasks of the peace process in four months.

Mandate

• Under its current mandate, Unmin monitors more than 19,000 former Maoist combatants of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and 3000 weapons in seven cantonments and 21 camps, as well as a restricted number of Nepal Army (NA) personnel and arms. It also heads the Joint Monitoring Co-ordination Committee, a dispute resolution mechanism that includes NA and PLA representatives.
  

The government has argued that peace agreements require the Maoists to transfer to the PLA under the all-party "Special Committee for Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist armed personnel". The committee recently constituted a 12-member secretariat, which has proposed a mechanism consisting of retired and serving state security personnel to be stationed in the 28 Maoist camps to monitor arms and personnel — the task performed by U.N. armed monitors.

While Maoist members are a part of the secretariat, they have opposed the proposal and its silence on the monitoring of the Nepal Army personnel and arms. Instead, Maoists have demanded another extension for Unmin, and have warned they may send a unilateral request to the UNSC if the government does not agree. "Unmin's exit before the conclusion of the peace process will create complications as it is an important part of past agreements," said Maoist vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

The Nepali Congress has said it could support an extension for UNMIN, but only with a revised mandate where monitoring does not extend to the NA and if the Maoists make firm and tangible promises on integration and rehabilitation of their combatants.