Posts Tagged ‘ceasefire’
UN’s Ban urges suspension of Sri Lanka fighting
[Reuters] U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Monday for a “suspension in fighting” between the Sri Lanka government and Tamil Tiger separatists to allow civilians to escape. “There is an urgent need to bring this conflict to an end without any further unnecessary loss of civilian life and destruction of Sri Lankan society,” Ban told…
Read MoreSri Lanka rejects Tigers’ ceasefire calls
[AFP] Sri Lanka’s military on has demanded the complete surrender of the Tamil Tigers, rejecting rebel calls for an immediate ceasefire. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the Government could not accept a conditional truce from the cornered Tamil Tigers and insisted that the guerrillas should unconditionally lay down arms first. Earlier, the rebels announced…
Read MoreEU calls for humanitarian ceasefire in Sri Lanka
[AFP] EU foreign ministers are set to make a joint call next week for an immediate ceasefire between Sri Lankan security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels to allow aid in and civilians out of the conflict zone. “The EU is deeply concerned about the evolving humanitarian crisis and vast number of internally displaced people,” according…
Read MoreSri Lanka Rejects Truce Call As Fighting Escalates
[AFP] Sri Lanka’s government Wednesday rejected fresh calls for a truce with Tamil Tiger rebels as security forces took another village previously held by the cornered guerrillas. Defense spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the government was firmly committed to wiping out “terrorism” and described the demand for a ceasefire from a Tamil Tiger proxy as “laughable.”…
Read MoreRobert Evans MEP: Who can protect Tamil civilians caught in the conflict?
[The Independent] The news that the Sri Lankan government has rejected Gordon Brown’s appointment of the former defence secretary Des Browne as special envoy comes as little surprise to anyone who has been following the situation there. The Sri Lankan government has become increasingly paranoid and defensive about all matters relating to the vicious civil…
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