Norway ends Lankan peace deadlock

Norway's International Development Minister Erik Solheim (R) walks with Puleedevan (L) of the Peace Secretariat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil (LTTE) after arriving in Kilinochchi by Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter yesterday. Norway broke a near three-year deadlock in Sri Lanka's peace talks by clinching a deal with warring parties to meet face-to-face in Geneva by mid-February. PHOTO: AFP

The talks would focus on strengthening their ceasefire, which was on the brink of collapse after a surge in violence since December killed 152 people, envoy Erik Solheim told reporters in this rebel-held political capital.

Solheim had a rare meeting with Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran who in November put Colombo on notice to make a reasonable autonomy deal this year or face re-igniting a separatist war.

Peace talks have been on hold since April 2003.

The Norwegian envoy, who is also Oslo's International Development Minister, travelled to this political headquarters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after separate talks with President Mahinda Rajapakse Tuesday.

The envoy said President Rajapakse was keen on a peace deal to end three decades of ethnic bloodshed that has left over 60,000 people dead.

"He is eager to see peace in Sri Lanka," Solheim said of his talks in Colombo with Rajapakse. Solheim was due to have another meeting with Rajapakse in the capital later Wednesday before leaving the island Thursday.

He said the first ice-breaking meeting between Rajapakse's government, which came to power in November, and the LTTE will be in Geneva.

"There may be a need for more meetings," Solheim said. "They would be held in Switzerland or elsewhere in Europe."

He said the agenda for next month's meeting will be "to strengthen the ceasefire agreement." There is a need "to create a climate that is conducive for peace," he said.

Solheim also stressed the need to reduce attacks on the Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), which suffered a bomb blast earlier this month. The SLMM is monitoring the truce that went into force in February 2002.

"It was very, very difficult, if not impossible, to keep the ceasefire" unless attacks are stopped, Solheim said. "Every possible measure must be taken to guarantee the security of the SLMM."

Asked if both sides had agreed to stop the latest wave of violence, Solheim replied: "The agreement between the two parties will have to be made at the meeting."

LTTE's chief negotiator Anton Balasingham said they wanted talks with the new government as soon as possible but also sought an end to violence.

The London-based Balasing-ham, who flew in here on Monday to join the Solheim-Prabhakaran talks, said the LTTE will discuss with Colombo only about implementing the truce.

He ruled out amending or re-negotiating the ceasefire as demanded by nationalists coalition partners in Rajapakse's government.

"On our part we have pledged that there will be no acts of violence. At the same time we want the government of Sri Lanka to ensure there shouldn't be any violence perpetrated against innocent civilians and the LTTE," Balasingham said.