US slams Nepal rebels for continued forced recruitment

AFP, November, 2006

KATHMANDU (AFP) — The United States slammed the continued forced recruitment by Nepal's rebel Maoists on the eve of inking a peace deal with the interim government to end a decade of war. "The US Embassy denounces the continued forced recruitment of Nepalis, including children, into the armed ranks of the Maoists," the statement said.

The statement also called on the rebels to immediately halt the alleged recruitment. The US provided 45 million dollars in aid to Nepal last year, largely humanitarian, and expects to provide a similar amount to the impoverished country this year, according to US embassy spokesman Robert Hugins. The charge came a day after a human rights group accused the rebels, who have waged war against the government for a decade, of forcing people to join...