An urgent diplomatic effort was under way on Thursday to prevent a showdown between Nepal’s national army and the former Maoist rebels heading the government.
A dispute over the future of the army chief threatens to cut short the Himalayan state’s three-year-old peace process.
The Maoist-led government wants to sack General Rook Mangud Katwal. It believes he stands in the way of integration of regular forces with their old foes, Maoist guerrilla fighters, and has openly defied the country’s new civilian leadership.
Nepal has struggled to integrate 19,000 Maoist cadres into the security forces, bitter adversaries during an 11-year civil war and which remain deeply suspicious of one another.
The near 100,000 strong military has responded to the threat to its leadership by putting itself on high alert.
“Nepal Army never lost in armed confrontation with the Maoists.
“We agreed to bring them to political mainstream thinking they would respect plurality and democracy,” said a senior army officer.
“Their attempt to sack our chief has deeply disturbed us. It can lead to anything.”
The international community held talks with the government on Thursday in an effort to defuse the stand-off. Puspa Kamal Dahal, prime minister, met the ambassadors of India, the US, the UK, Japan and Germany, among others, to put forward the case for Gen Katwal’s removal.
The diplomats warned that such an action threatened to derail the reconciliation process and precipitate a return to hostilities between the former enemies.
In a sign of growing anxiety in neighbouring India, Rakesh Sood, India’s ambassador, returned to New Delhi last night to brief his government on the latest developments.
Rajendra Dahal, press adviser to Ram Baran Yadav, Nepal’s president, said: “The political parties and democratic forces are requesting the president to stop the government from sacking the army chief because if they get control over the national army then there will be no force left to stop them from usurping power.” .
Disputes have arisen over new recruits to the Nepali army and the extension of the terms of eight generals. The Maoists unsuccessfully challenged the new appointments in the supreme court.
The army, meanwhile, has complained that it is being denied resources to counter a regional terror threat and of China’s growing influence in the country. The army this month withdrew athletes from events in Nepal’s national games because Maoists were also competing.
