Nepal in chaos amid Gen Z protests, Army patrols streets to prevent looting; protesters meet today

Nepal’s government has fallen after a Gen-Z uprising over corruption led to widespread violence and destruction, leading to the resignations of both Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and President Ram Chandra Poudel. The country’s army has taken over for now, and its chief, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, has appealed to the protesters to engage in dialogue.

“It is the shared duty of all to normalise the current difficult situation and safeguard the supreme interests of the nation. I therefore request the suspension of protest programs and urge parties to take the path of dialogue,” he said in a video address.

Protests began on Monday with demands that the government lift a ban on social media and tackle corruption, with police trying to crush the rallies, resulting in the deaths of many young protesters.

Highlighting the importance of national unity, Sigdel underscored that maintaining peace, security, and the nation’s integrity is a shared duty of every Nepali citizen. He affirmed the longstanding dedication of the Nepal Army, stating, “As history has witnessed, the Nepal Army remains committed to the country’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, national unity, and the safety of its people.”

The army has also announced that it will operate on the road from 10 pm, following reports of jailbreak, looting and arson across Kathmandu.

Protestors to meet today

Meanwhile, Gen Z protest leaders, Sudan Gurun and others, will hold a meeting today to discuss their course of action.

President Ramchandra Paudel, whose offices were also set on fire by mobs, pleaded for “all parties to exercise restraint, to not allow further damage”.

“Since the demands raised by citizens in a democracy can be resolved through dialogue and discussion including representatives of Gen-Z, I appeal to all parties to be restrained, not to cause further damage to the country, and to come to the negotiating table,” Army Chief Sigdel said.