Kathmandu, February 9:

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Nepal, and the head of United Nations Mission in Nepal, Ian Martin, said today the death toll across the Terai in recent days was a tragic reminder of the magnitude of the challenges facing Nepal, and the need to address them through dialogue and flexibility.

“There can be no room for complacency or illusion that building lasting peace in Nepal will be easy. Much hard work remains to be done before a free and fair CA election can be held, minus the threat of arms or intimidation,” said Martin in a release today after his re-appointment in Nepal has become official. He said the UN, for its part, stands ready to assist a peace process guided by and for the people of Nepal.

“I am delighted to be able to continue working for peace in Nepal and honoured by the responsibility given to me by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, to ensure that the UN is doing everything that it has been asked to do, to contribute to the success of the peace process,” added Martin.

Recalling his first arrival in Nepal in May 2005 in the midst of a full-scale armed conflict, he said that it was remarkable how Nepal has progressed in such a short period.