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Norway, U.S. condemn Colombo blast

Oslo optimistic of early end to violence in Sri Lanka

OSLO: The main mediator in the Sri Lankan conflict, Erik Solheim of Norway, on Wednesday condemned the flare-up of violence on the war-torn island but said he was optimistic that it would end shortly.

``The developments yesterday [Tuesday] are of course absolutely regrettable. We regret in the strongest terms the suicide [bombing] attempt on the [army] chief Sarath Fonseka and we call upon both the LTTE and the Government to show the maximum restraint now,'' Mr. Solheim told AFP in Oslo.

``We are working with the parties on an hour-to-hour basis to do whatever possible to bring them back to the negotiating table in Geneva as soon as possible and to put a stop to this violence,'' he said.

Mr. Solheim said he did not believe the violence signified the end of a ceasefire in place since February 2002.

"Definitely not. Both parties have committed to us that they are still committed to the ceasefire. They have done it publicly and they have done it in all informal conversations with us. So definitely they're committed to the ceasefire,'' he said.

At the United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has condemned the blast and urged the Government and Tamil leaders to resume peace talks.

``No cause can justify such acts of violence,'' Mr. Annan said in a statement and expressed his condolences to the families of the bereaved and the Government.

Unacceptable, says U.S.

Condemning the blast, U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters at a briefing that the attack was ``an unacceptable act of terror, a clear provocation and an escalation of violence.''

He expressed the United States' sympathy to the victims and said Washington would continue to work with those trying to end the conflict peacefully. — Agencies

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