Annan calls for peace in Sri Lanka

by Manjula Fernando

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has appealed for peace and stability in Sri Lanka after the August 12 assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, a UN spokesman said Wednesday.

In a statement released by the spokesman, Annan said the international community is exploring all options to help the Government of Sri Lanka stabilise the situation and put the peace process back on track.

At Annan's request, his special adviser Lakhdar Brahimi completed a four day visit to Colombo and held consultations with Government officials as well as a broad spectrum of people in the country, the statement said.

"The heightened attention by the United Nations is meant to reinforce, and in no way to replace, the ardent efforts of Norway to facilitate the peace process," Annan noted.

The Secretary-General also reiterated his full support for the Norwegian-led efforts to advance the peace process.

The latest such move is an extraordinary meeting of the four Sri Lanka Co-Chairs (Norway, EU, US, Japan) in New York on September 19. The meeting will address the increasingly difficult security situation in Sri Lanka and the need to strengthen respect for the Ceasefire Agreement.

Norway has also decided that the only feasible venue for meetings between the Government and the LTTE for discussions on the CFA is the Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo. The Government agreed to the venue proposed by the Norwegian facilitators, but agency reports said yesterday that the LTTE has declined this offer.

Meanwhile, at a meeting with Colombo-based journalists, UN Special Envoy Brahimi said the UN would not replace Norway as the peace facilitator, ruling out a broader role for the UN in the Peace Process.

He said: "There is no question of that. Nobody asked us. We haven't offered. So I'm not looking for a job." He observed it was time to review the ceasefire which has become a bit 'tricky' after the assassination of Minister Kadirgamar.

He reiterated that he sees no special role for the UN before or after the election and commended the UN's satisfaction over the current role played by Norway as facilitator.

"Norway is doing a good job under difficult conditions," Brahimi commented.

The special envoy is to report back what he learned here to the Secretary General on his return to New York.