Sri Lanka combatants willing to return to peace talks

THE Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels have told Norwegian mediators they are willing to return to peace talks without conditions.

“We rejoice at the announcement conveyed by both the government and LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) to our Norwegian facilitator, that they are willing to come to talks without any conditions,” Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi told a news briefing in Brussels.

The Tigers pulled out of peace talks indefinitely, in April, and a new bout of fighting erupted in late July, killing hundreds of troops, civilians and rebels in the worst violence since a 2002 ceasefire.

Earlier, the leader of the rebels’ political wing, SP Thamilselvan, had said the organisation was “ready for talks” but said attacks by Sri Lanka’s army should stop.

The UN has warned that both sides need to ensure the safety of aid agencies trying to reach the Jaffna peninsula.

“We renew our appeal to the international community to put pressure on both sides, to enable aid agencies to reach civilians who are caught up in the conflict,” said Christiane Berthiaume, of the World Food Programme.

An aid ship that arrived off the northern port of Jaffna, on September 9, has faced difficulties in unloading its cargo with the Tigers refusing to guarantee the ship’s safety.