Nepal rebels to rejoin peace talks

Rebel leaders were freed two days ago

Maoist rebels in Nepal have agreed to resume stalled peace talks, a peace facilitator told the BBC.

Top rebel leader Prachanda has said that he has directed rebel negotiators to sit down for a third round of talks.

In a letter to be delivered to the government, Prachanda welcomed concessions made this week by the Nepalese Government as "positive developments".

Peace talks broke down in May and the Maoists had set Thursday as a deadline for the government to respond to their outstanding demands.

The rebel ultimatum had heightened concerns that violence might resume.

Peace facilitator Padma Ratna Tuladhar told the BBC that the letter from Prachanda said that the rebels were taking into account calls for the resumption of talks from across the political spectrum.

Rebels released

The government on Tuesday met two key rebel demands when it freed three senior rebel leaders and disclosed information about three dozen activists who, the rebels said, had disappeared from the custody of the security forces.

But the government rejected demands to restrict the movement of the army and scrap a counter-terrorism pact with the United States.

On Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on the government and rebels to try to restart peace efforts.

Mr Annan said the peace process had faced serious obstacles in recent weeks and was now at a critical stage.

He said he was at the disposal of Nepal to help achieve an end to a conflict which began in 1996 and has cost at least 7,000 lives.