Maoist Rebels in Nepal Declare One-Month Ceasefire

Maoist rebels fighting government forces in western Nepal have announced a one-month ceasefire. In a signed statement sent to a Western news agency today, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the rebel leader also known as Prachanda, stated that the ceasefire will begin on May 15 and continue until mid-June. The statement also added that if government forces launch a new attack, the rebels will retaliate. Meanwhile, according to news reports from Nepal, both government forces and Maoist rebels have suffered heavy casualties in fierce clashes for control of a rebel base in the west of the country. Nepal's state radio reports that several hundred soldiers, police, rebels, and civilians may have been killed in this week's fighting in the village of Gam, located 450 kilometers west of Kathmandu. Government forces took control of the area last week after heavy ground and air assaults, but late Tuesday, the rebels launched a heavy counterattack. Reports indicate that clashes are continuing today. Sher Bahadur Deuba, the Prime Minister of Nepal, expressed doubts about the sincerity of the Maoist rebels' ceasefire proposal. Mr. Deuba made these comments today in New York. While on a trip to the U.S., he did not reject the ceasefire plan in an interview with a television network but stated that his government can no longer trust the rebels. Last week, the rebel leader suggested that peace talks, which were halted last November, be resumed. However, Deuba rejected this proposal, stating that the government will not negotiate with the rebels until they surrender their weapons.