Sri Lanka is to study the South African process of ”national reunification” as a model to end the island’s decades-old conflict with Tamil rebels, an official said Tuesday.
The top government peace negotiator, GL Peiris, leaves for South Africa later on Tuesday to undertake the study, an aide said.
Peiris, who is also the Constitutional Affairs Minister, is expected to meet the key players of the 1992 South African peace effort, aide Dayasiri Jayasekera said.
Peiris and Rolf Meyer, who had been the negotiator with Nelson Mandela on behalf of the then white government of the South African President FW De Klerk, are to work together to help Sri Lanka benefit from the African experience.
The Sri Lankan government which is currently engaged in a Norwegian-backed peace bid with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has said it was contemplating a nationwide referendum on its peace efforts.
Peiris last week said it was important to get public endorsement of the process kicked off by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe shortly after his victory in the December 2001 parliamentary elections.
The government entered a truce with the Tamil Tigers, lifted an economic embargo on the war-battered north and eastern regions and started direct negotiations.
The two warring parties have had six rounds of negotiations. The two sides are still formally foes, but are jointly looking for a suitable federal form of government as a final solution.
More than 60 000 people have been killed in fighting since 1972 but both sides have observed a ceasefire since February last year. – Sapa-AFP