Solheim arrives in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 September 2004, 06:50 GMT]
Norwegian special peace envoy Mr. Erik Solheim Wednesday morning arrived in Palaly by a special aircraft. Mr. Solheim met with the Jaffna area commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Major General Sunil Tennekon who briefed him of the ground situation prevailing in the peninsula. Talks between LTTE district political head Mr.C.Ilamparithi, deputy head Mr.Semmanan and district women political head Ms Kalaivilzi and the Norwegian team led by Mr.Solheim began around noon, sources said.

Mr. Solheim also met with a group of Civil Society leaders in Jaffna at the University of Jaffna. Mr.S. Rajadurai, Head of the Agricultural Faculty, Mr.C.V.K.Sivagnanam, Chairman of the Humanitarian Agencies in Jaffna and Senior Deputy General Secretary of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union Mr.T.Panchalingam and other representatives of civil groups were present in the meeting.

Mr.Solheim is scheduled to the meet the representatives of local and international non-governmental agencies at the NGO's secretariat Wednesday afternoon. Arrangement has been made for Mr.Solheim to visit welfare centres where internally displaced families are staying, sources said.