Downsizing Nordic truce monitoring mission to limit its operations

Colombo, Aug 19 (UNI) The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), overseeing the fragile truce between the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tiger rebels, today claimed that it would be forced to ''limit its operation in some areas'' with the downsizing of the strength of its monitors from 57 to 30 from September one.

''Monitors from the European Union (EU) member countries will be leaving by the end of this month, downsizing the strength of the monitors from 57 to 30. We will have to do less monitoring in some areas thereafter. We have no option,'' SLMM spokesman Thorfinnur Omarsson told UNI over the phone.

Following the EU ban on the LTTE, the rebels insisted truce monitors from the EU member countries, such as Finland, Denmark and Sweden should quit the SLMM before September one, questioning their neutrality.

The SLMM spokesman said Norway and Iceland, the two remaining countries in the mission, have already agreed to increase the number of members in the mission as twenty and ten respectively.

''At the moment, we are restructuring our future monitoring mechanism. We appreciate the decision by Norway and Iceland to increase its members in the mission,'' Mr Omarsson said.

According to the SLMM spokesman, a new head of mission would be announced early next week and the incumbent head of the SLMM, retired Swedish Maj Gen Ulf Henricsson would stay on for at least one more week after September one.

Commenting on the worsening security situation in the Jaffna peninsula, Mr Omarsson said the SLMM was unable to function in full force due to the ''war-like situation there''.

''We do some monitoring there in Jaffna, but not in full force due to the current security situation. We are supposed to monitor the truce, not the war,'' he said.

The SLMM currently consists of 57 members from the five Nordic countries, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland and according to the CFA, the government and LTTE must be in agreement through a mutually accepted process before any amendments to the CFA can be made. So far no amendments have been made to the CFA.

UNI XC SHB MIR PC1748