Maoists 'should release children'

The Maoists took office earlier this month

The United Nations has called on the Maoist party that has just come to power in Nepal to release child soldiers in its guerrilla army.

A count two years ago found that it had nearly 3,000 fighters in its ranks under the age of 18.

Along with the rest of the rebel force, they are currently housed in UN-monitored camps.

The camps were set up under a peace process that ended the guerrilla insurgency.

The UN's Radhika Coomaraswamy said that UN agencies needed to have access to the children to ensure their "recovery and reintegration".

The Maoists, who now lead Nepal's new coalition government, argue that they cannot abandon the children.

"We cannot chase them away just like that. They were helpful during the people's war and now we cannot just ditch them," senior Maoist Chandra Prakash Gajurel told the AFP news agency.