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01-08-2006

Danish monitors to be withdrawn from Sri Lanka

The Danish Government has decided gradually to start withdrawing its members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, SLMM. The withdrawal will be completed before 1 September 2006.

The withdrawal is most regrettable, and has been forced upon Denmark by the LTTE insistence of not having any national from any EU member country serving as ceasefire observer in Sri Lanka. Furthermore Denmark has noted that personal security towards its nationals at the SLMM apparently cannot be guaranteed by the LTTE after 1 September 2006.

Denmark has also noted that the Government of Sri Lanka is in disagreement with the LTTE on the issue of the composition of the SLMM, but have had no other option but to draw the above conclusion, since both parties to the Ceasefire Agreement of 22 February 2002 have to agree on the composition of the SLMM and to guarantee the personal safety of the observers.

The withdrawal by Danish observers and other observers from Nordic countries that also are EU members, upon the insistence of the LTTE, may jeopardize the ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

Source-ReliefWeb