Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim will meet Tamil rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in Sri Lanka next week in a bid to halt the escalating violence in the country, a pro-rebel website said Tuesday, according to DPA. The renewed peace efforts come amid a spike in attacks in the conflict-torn north and northeast of the country, where 140 security personnel, civilians and rebels have been killed in the past seven weeks. Four people including two soldiers were killed in the latest incidents Tuesday. Solheim, who is Norway's development minister, is due in Sri Lanka on January 23 for meetings with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as well as with President Mahinda Rajapakse in a fresh effort to renew stalled peace talks. "Mr. Solheim will be seeking to persuade the parties in conflict to bring an end to the escalating violence that has seriously undermined the February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement," the pro-rebel Tamilnet website said. However Solheim had during an interview in Norway on Tuesday tried to lower expectations of his role as peacemaker. "The situation in Sri Lanka is very difficult," Solheim told Norwegian news agency NTB. "The goal is help the parties gain more respect for the ceasefire. But one should not have too high expectations." Norway in 2002 originally helped broker the ceasefire between the LTTE and the government, which is monitored by Scandinavian observers.
