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Peace call amid Nepal violence
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- In the wake of the latest clash between army troops and rebel forces in the west, the Nepalese government has urged Maoist rebels to stick to a ceasefire and take part in peace negotiations. Prakash Chandra Lohani, the government's chief peace coordinator and finance minister, said the latest violence, which has left five rebels dead, is undermining the truce. "We hope the Maoist leadership can exercise control over their cadres," he said. "The increasing violence perpetrated by the Maoists does not help build an atmosphere of trust." Lohani said the government hopes to sit down for peace negotiations by the end of next week, but has yet to hear back from the rebels on dates and venues. "We are still committed to peace, but such violence does not help build trust," he said. The comments came a day after rebels and soldiers clashed in the western district of Kailali. Defense Ministry sources said five Maoists were killed and two soldiers were wounded when clashes erupted after an army patrol ran into a large group of rebels early Monday. The government said the rebels fired first, but the rebels denied the charge late Monday, instead charging the army with firing the first shots. The clash is the latest in a series of Maoist-related violence that has erupted again in this Himalayan kingdom, despite a seven-month-old ceasefire. Both sides have held two rounds of peace talks and are currently awaiting the start of a third. Peace talks nearly broke off last month over disagreements about the role of Nepal's army, but the two sides have since agreed to sit down for at least one more round of talks. The Maoists, who idolize Peru's Shining Path guerrillas, have been waging a "people's war" since 1996 demanding to turn this monarchy into a communist republic. More than 8,000 people have died in the fighting. -- From Journalist Suman Pradhan
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