Népal: l'armée fait appel à l'Europe

"Army chief in Germany
Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Prajwalla SJB Rana left for Germany Friday at the invitation of Gen. Lt.Gert Gudera, an announcement said.
Col. Toran Jung Bahadur Singh and Lt. Col.Niranjan Bikram Rana are accompanying him. Nepal is negotiating an arms purchase deal with Germany. nepalnews.com br Nov.24"

Soldiers killed in Maoist attack, other details

For the first time in a six-year communist insurgency, Maoists killed unspecified number of soldiers and injured several others in an overnight attack on an army barrack in Ghorai 360kms west of the capital, official reports said Saturday.

Radio Nepal said at least eight soldiers were killed. Rebels previously targeted only police in their attacks in the insurgency that has claimed more than1, 800 lives. At least 23 policemen died and 13 others were injured in overnight rebel attacks on three police posts in Dang and Syangjha district120kms west of the capital, police said.

Fourteen policemen were killed in attacks in Syangjha and nine others died and 13 others were injured in attacks on police outposts in Ghorai and Narayanpur in Dang, the home district of Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka.

Rebels also seized arms and ammunition from them. King Gyanendra, who is also Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepal Army, summoned Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to the royal palace Saturday despite a weekend holiday for a briefing following the outbreak of fresh violence, a palace announcement said.

PM Deuba, whom is also defense minister, convened an emergency meeting of the National Defense Council (NDC). The King deploys the army, if needed, on the recommendation of the NDC, which has the prime minister, the defense minister, and the chief of army staff as members.

One person was injured Saturday in Tulsipur in Dang when a bomb left behind by rebels exploded in the town an official said. Maoists overnight broke a four-month truce to negotiate an end of Nepal's worst internal conflict after three rounds of failed negotiations.

Maoists launched coordinated attacks on police posts, government buildings, business houses nation-wide; the rebels freed inmates from a prison in Putalibazzar in Syangjha after overpowering prisoners.

Rebels made sudden and daring attacks in more than a dozen of the nation's 75 administrative districts causing extensive damage to property; insurgents escaped with Rs.150 million looted from a bank and financial institutions in Putalibazzar during a three-hour town seize that began at 10 PM. Maoist casualties in Putalibazzar were not available.

Talks between the government and rebels were stalled over communist demands for a republic and an interim government to conduct elections for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. Maoists apparently used the four-month to deploy under cover of talks after many died when soldiers were deployed in June to free 72 captured policemen in far west Nepal.

The rebel attack came three days after rebel leader Prachanda issued a statement virtually suspending protracted peace talks, which he termed meaningless and futile. nepalnews.com br/yl Nov.24

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Army chief in Germany

Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Prajwalla SJB Rana left for Germany Friday at the invitation of Gen. Lt.Gert Gudera, an announcement said.

Col. Toran Jung Bahadur Singh and Lt. Col.Niranjan Bikram Rana are accompanying him. Nepal is negotiating an arms purchase deal with Germany. nepalnews.com br Nov.24

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Chaudhary elected NICCI president

Arun Chaudhary of Chaudhary Group Nepal was unanimously elected president of the Nepal India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) Friday.

The annual general meeting of the NICCI elected him. Other members are: Banwari Lal Mittal, Chandra Prakash Khetan, Dewakar Golcha, Manish Kumar Agrawal, Rajiv Kulkarni, Sashi Kant Agrawal, Sashi Raj Pandey, Sanjiv Puri and T. Gupta. nepalnews.com br Nov.24

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Fifth Nepal, China Forum meets Thursday

The fifth meeting of the Nepal-China non-governmental Co-operation Forum will meet in the capital from Thursday, an announcement said. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will launch the meet.

Vice chairman of All China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) Zhang Xuwu will lead the Chinese delegation; President of the Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Rabi Bhakta Shrestha is the co-chairman of the Forum.

The Forum meets alternately in China and Nepal to promote bilateral economic ties.
nepalnews.com br Nov.24

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Bangladeshi divers return

Ten Bangladeshi divers returned to the capital Friday after an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve the bodies of two passengers and a pilot of a helicopter that crashed into Rara lake last week, aviation sources said.

Princess Prekshya also died in the crash. Saturday is the 13th day of her death. Two others survived the accident with serious injuries. nepalnews.com br Nov.24

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24 policemen killed in Maoist attack
Maoists killed 24 policemen overnight in an assault on a police outpost in Putalibazzar in Syangjha district, Dang and other centers causing extensive damage in co-ordinated attacks throughout the kingdom after unilaterally breaking a four month cease-fire to end a communist insurgency that has claimed more than 1,800 lives in nearly six years, official and independent reports said.

The rebels decamped with more than Rs.150 million looted from banks and finance companies in the district in Syangjha. Some reports said district headquarters in Syangjha and Dang fell to the rebels.

Insurgents abducted two policemen, the chief district officer and a major of the Royal Nepal Army at Ghorai in Dang, the home district of Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka.

Maoists attacked the army barracks and district police headquarters in the town. Reports are pouring in of more than a dozen attacks nation-wide. Army foiled an attempt by rebels to blow up a petroleum depot of the Nepal Oil Corporation in the capital.

The communist guerillas also attacked airport in Surkhet and blew up a helicopter of Asian Airlines and damaged other two choppers parked in the airport. Maoists also attacked several police posts and government offices in Baglung, Tanahu, Makwanpur, Morang, Kalikot and several other districts.

The attacks came three days after Maoist strongman Prachanda issued a statement saying the cease-fire to bring peace had no meaning. The fresh outbreak of violence indicates the rebels used the truce to re-group after being routed by the army in Holleri in far west Nepal in June to free more than 72 captured policemen in an attack on a police outpost.

Reports said more than 70 rebels were killed in the attack beginning the peace process. The government and rebels held three rounds of unfruitful talks to restore peace.
nepalnews.com br/yl Nov.24

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"Maoists declare central "People's Revolutionary Government"

The underground Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) that has been waging an armed insurgency for the last six years has declared central "People's Revolutionary Government" with Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai chief (convener) of the Maoist parallel government.

A press statement issued Friday by Dr Bhattarai has said that Krishna Bahadur Mahara is the joint convener and Dev Gurung secretary of the Maoist central revolutionary people's government.

Agni Prasad Sapkota and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Rabindra Shrestha are members of the central Maoist government. Names of other members were not known.

The decision of formation of central people's revolutionary government was taken by the central council of the Maoist party that met in Rolpa recently.

Maoist party has already formed village and district people's revolutionary government in more than 40 districts of the country. nepalnews.com yl Nov.24"

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)