KATHMANDU: The United Nations Mine Action Team (UNMAT) today carried out the safe destruction of the last of the explosive items stored at the seven Maoist cantonments in various districts.

According to UNMIN, demolition of 65 explosive items held at the cantonment in Dasharathpur in Surkhet is the culmination of the ongoing programme involving close cooperation between the Maoists, UNMAT and UNMIN to

destroy all dangerous items held

within the main cantonment sites as stated in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

Following the signing of the CPA, an audit of the stockpiles held in the cantonments categorised all items as Priority 1 or Priority 2. Between April 2007 and July 2008, 18,642 Priority 1 items, including improvised explosive devices, detonators, bulk explosive, factory-made munitions and other explosive accessories were systematically destroyed by the UN-contracted Armour Group, the UN body says in a press statement.

In 2009, UNMAT, in coordination with the Maoist combatants and UNMIN, undertook to revisit and destroy all Priority 2 items, all of which had become unfit for storage since the initial categorisation. From June 2009 to date, it destroyed a total of 28,273 dangerous items at the seven cantonments.

The Nepali Army is also continuing the clearance of its mines and improvised explosive devices consistent

with a protocol of the CPA. With the

help of UNMAT, 15 of the 53 minefields

and 105 of the 275 IED fields have

been cleared to date.

‘The destruction of the final explosive items in the cantonments and the continued mines clearance efforts of the NA are an important part of the CPA. We must remember there is still work to be done, especially with regard to clearing the remaining minefields and IED fields,” said Steve Robinson, programme manager, UNMAT.

Clearance of Maoist improvised explosive devices directly demonstrates that the CPA is being implemented and that the parties remain committed to the peace process, adds UNMIN.

Karin Landgren, the Representative of the UN Secretary General, said, “This is a concrete step forward in the peace process. I commend the leadership of both the armies for the measures they have taken to purge their country of dangerous explosives.”