Fear of war grips Nepal

KATHMANDU: A new year dawned in revolt-torn Nepal on Sunday amid growing fears of fresh violence as the Maoist rebels’ unilateral truce neared its end.

The rebel ceasefire, first announced for three months in September and later extended for another month, is due to expire at midnight on Monday. King Gyanendra has refused to match the truce while the guerrillas have accused his royalist government of provoking them to break it. Still, the four months saw fewer killings.

“An end to the ceasefire would naturally mean resumption of violence,” said Yubaraj Ghimire, editor of Samay. “But there is still some hope that the Maoists will continue with their unilateral ceasefire for some time.”

The truce neared its end amid unconfirmed reports that the Maoists, who hold sway in the countryside, were now setting their sights on the high-security capital, Kathmandu, which has so far been spared major attacks.