Nepal vows to improve conditions in Maoist camps

KATHMANDU, Feb 22 (Reuters) Nepal's multi-party government promised today to improve living conditions in camps housing former Maoist guerrillas after they began fleeing because they were not getting enough to eat.

Thousands of former guerrillas were housed in 28 government-managed camps across the Himalayan nation under a landmark peace deal. They have also stored their arms there under the supervision of the United Nations.

But yesterday, at least 550 Maoists left the camps saying they were going in search of work in nearby villages or towns to feed themselves.

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula urged the former fighters to return, saying water, electricity, healthcare and communication facilities would be in place by next week.

''I urge the Maoist fighters to return to their camps immediately,'' Sitaula told reporters. ''Leaving the camps will send a wrong signal to the world and could hurt the peace process, which is progressing smoothly so far.'' There was no immediate comment from the Maoists, who joined a provisional parliament in January as part of the peace deal, declaring an end to a civil war in which more than 13,000 people were killed since 1996.

The Maoists are also meant to join an interim administration under the pact.

Under the peace agreement, the government is supposed to meet the cost of maintaining the camps.

Sitaula said the Maoists had been given million but did not say if they would be paid more. The Maoists say the money was not enough for their 35,000-strong force.

Last week, the United Nations said it was not satisfied with conditions in the camps. But it voiced concerned that the former rebels were leaving them, calling it a ''breach'' of the arms monitoring pact it signed with the government and the Maoists.

REUTERS SAM PM2107