KATHMANDU, March 25 Nepal's Supreme Court has ordered the government, headed by former Maoist rebels, to stop moves to retire eight generals from the national army, a decision that could stoke fresh tension between the two old foes.

Hemanta Rawal, a spokesman for the Supreme Court, said on Wednesday the Himalayan nation's highest court ordered the government “not to implement the decision terminating the term of the army generals”.

Relations between the Maoists, who battled the army in a decade-long civil war until 2006, and the military, have been strained since the guerrillas came to power after winning last year's election for a constituent assembly.

Last week, Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, a former Maoist rebel commander, retired eight brigadier generals of the Nepal Army, a move criticised by coalition partners, who wanted their services to be extended.

“The government has not given enough reasons not to extend their service,” Rawal said after the Supreme Court order was issued late on Tuesday.

Some analysts said the move could further raise tension between the Maoists and the army and threaten the 2006 peace pact.

“The mistrust between the army and the Maoists will increase and it will affect the government-army relationship in the long run,” said Bishnu Raj Upreti of the Kathmandu University.

The Maoists and the army are in a conflict over the rehabilitation of more than 19,000 former guerrillas housed in UN monitored camps under the landmark deal.

Some top Maoist leaders insist the former guerillas must join the army which has so far refused to take the fighters they consider “indoctrinated” by Maoist ideas.

The Maoists also criticise the military for hiring 2,800 recruits to fill vacancies, saying it violated the peace deal.—Reuters