Rebel Leader Eases Road Blockade
Nepal’s rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, said he was lifting a countrywide blockade of roads to ease the discomfort of common people.
The rebels had announced the blockade in response to King Gyanendra’s Feb. 1 decision to sack the government and declare a state of emergency.
The insurgents, who have been fighting since 1996 to topple the monarchy and establish communist rule, blocked the highways with crude bombs, mines and boulders.
Prices of food and other essential items have risen sharply.
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