Kilinochchi: The Sri Lankan president and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader agreed on Wednesday to resume peace talks, raising hopes that this small tropical island may avoid sliding back into civil war. The Sri Lankan government and the LTTE will likely to hold the talks in Switzerland next month.
An announcement to this effect was made by Eric Solheim, the Norwegian peace envoy in Tiger held Killinochi. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse had earlier told him he was ready to resume talks on implementing the 2002 ceasefire. It has been under severe strain after a string of deadly attacks by the Tigers.
"Yes, I have accepted the proposal to go ahead and resume talks," President Mahinda Rajapakse said after Solheim met with him in the Capital, Colombo.
"It is a good sign for the country," he said of the acceptance of a Norwegian proposal by him and rebels' reclusive leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran for the talks to resume.
They stalled in 2003 over the LTTE's sweeping autonomy demand. Solheim, who brokered the country's cease-fire in 2002, met with Prabhakaran in the rebel-held city of Kilinochchi and received his agreement for the talks.
But Solheim expressed caution. "They should not underestimate the difficulties," Solheim said in Colombo. He said no date had been fixed, but the talks should start in mid-February.
The ceasefire is on the brink of collapse following a surge in violence mainly in the north and east of the country that has claimed at least 152 lives since December.
"Switzerland supports the peace process under Norwegian facilitation. Therefore, it has declared itself ready that talks between the conflict parties can take place in Switzerland," the embassy said in a statement.
More than 60,000 people have been killed in the drawn-out Tamil separatist conflict and four previous attempts at peace ended in failure.
(With Agency inputs)
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