By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Nepal's government and Maoist rebels agreed on Tuesday a series of steps to lock up weapons as part of a landmark peace deal and mandated the United Nations to monitor their guns and armies. The breakthrough comes a week after they signed a comprehensive peace agreement declaring a formal end to a decade-old conflict in which more than 13,000 people have died. "We have displayed our sincerity and commitment to fulfil the aspirations of the people for peace and to end the conflict," Maoist spokesman and chief rebel negotiator Krishna Bahadur Mahara told reporters after signing the agreement. An accord contained in the "Agreement on Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies" was signed by both sides and handed to a U.N. representative in Kathmandu. It will be signed by Ian Martin, personal representative of the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to Nepal's peace process, and a timetable for putting weapons beyond use will be agreed. "Since arms management is a sensitive issue negotiations took a long time," he said referring to the six days of talks needed to reach an understanding. Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, the chief government negotiator, was upbeat. "With this agreement Nepal has entered a new era of peace, democracy and prosperity," he said. Under the deal both sides have agreed to allow U.N. civilian personnel to monitor the management of their arms and armies. A 24-hour surveillance camera will cover the storage site and the United Nations will provide an inspection registration device mounted on each container door indicating when the storage container has been opened. The earlier peace deal allowed for the Maoists to join an interim government which will supervise elections next year to a special assembly that is charged with preparing a new constitution and deciding the fate of monarchy. The rebels also agreed to keep their armies in 28 camps and keep weapons in secure storage containers under a lock provided by the United Nations. The army will confine its 90,000 soldiers to barracks and keep an equal number of arms under lock and key in the run up to the assembly polls. On Tuesday, it was decided the interim government to be formed with the Maoists would deploy the security forces for routine patrols. Both sides also agreed not to use children below 18 in the armed forces and refrain from all violence, kidnapping, unlawful detention or imprisonment.
