U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underscored on Thursday the urgent need for a political solution to end the bloodshed in Sri Lanka following the government's decision to terminate the 2002 cease-fire agreement with the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Ban said he is deeply worried that the withdrawal from the accord comes amidst intensifying fighting in the north and increasing violence across the country, including capital Colombo.
"The secretary-general urges all concerned to ensure the protection of civilians and enable humanitarian assistance to be provided to affected areas," the spokesperson added.
The Sri Lankan government said Thursday that it has notified the Norwegian government about its decision to terminate the cease-fire agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. The Norwegian facilitator regretted the Sri Lankan decision and feared further escalation of violence in the country.
In 2000, Norway was formally invited by the then Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and LTTE rebels to act as facilitator for the peace process in the country.
On Feb. 22, 2002, the two sides concluded a cease-fire agreement by the facilitation of Norway.
Following the signing of the cease-fire agreement, the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE rebels held eight rounds of peace talks but failed to make any tangible progress.
Since the incumbent President Mahinda Rejapakse came to power in November 2005, fighting between the government troops and the LTTE rebels, who seek an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east of the country, escalated despite the cease-fire agreement.
The conflict between the two sides erupted in 1983 and the more-than-two-decade bloody fight has so far claimed more than 70,000 lives and severely hampered the development of the tiny Indian Ocean island country's otherwise prosperous economy and social progress.
Source:Xinhua
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