International pressure for peace mounted ahead of an ultimatum set by Maoists on Government to meet five demands for the third phase of peace of negotiations by Thursday night (18.15 GMT).

Britain’s Baroness Amos, Secretary of State for the Department of International Development, sent messages to Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa and General Secretary of NCP (Maoists) Thursday to “continue the peace process in order to achieve a sustainable democratic peace,’ the British Embassy said.

She said:” My Ministerial colleagues and I noted and welcomed the steps taken in Nepal to establish and maintain a ceasefire and to find a negotiated settlement to the current crisis. “We are anxious to see progress towards the peace settlement maintained by both parties. We are therefore concerned by recent critical developments and the threat they pose to Nepal’s peace process negotiations.”

“Any resumption of armed conflict would have the most serious consequences for development and human suffering in Nepal. We urge both parties to exercise maximum restraint at this time and to continue the peace process.”

The statement comes after UN Chief Kofi Annan’s offer of good offices.