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— U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Nepal's leaders Saturday to resolve their differences and speed up the integration of thousands of former communist rebels into mainstream society.
The rebel combatants were confined to camps monitored by the United Nations after they ended their decade-long insurgency in 2006 as part of a peace deal. They have been interviewed by U.N. arms monitors and are waiting to either be integrated into the national security forces or resettled back into society.
A special committee was formed by the government last week to resolve the issue of the ex-fighters, but the main opposition political party has refused to join the group unless it is given a greater role.
"I urge to all political leaders and all government leaders that they should be able to work with the spirit of cooperation and compromise and also flexibility," Ban said Saturday. "They should work for national unity."
Ban met with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, President Ram Baran Yadav and several other officials, including members of the Constituent Assembly elected in May to rewrite the constitution and govern the Himalayan nation.
The former rebels contested that election and emerged as the country's largest political party. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the former leader of the rebels, heads the coalition government.
Ban also met leaders from the opposition Nepali Congress party.
He arrived in Nepal on Friday and was scheduled to leave for Bangladesh later Saturday.
