Sri Lanka dumps Norway as peace facilitator

Colombo, April 13 (IANS) Reacting angrily over its mission coming under attack by Tamil protesters in Oslo, Sri Lanka Monday dumped Norway as peace facilitator between the government and the Tamil Tigers, a government statement said Monday.

Sri Lanka's foreign ministry Monday summoned Norwegian Ambassador Tore Hattrem, lodged its 'official protest' and informed him that it 'deeply regretted that the Norwegian government has failed in discharging of its obligations under international law to provide adequate security to the Sri Lanka Mission in Oslo'.

Sri Lanka said that the violent attack on it mission was carried out 'by hooligans belonging to the international terror network of the LTTE'.

'In these circumstances, the government of Sri Lanka perceives that it is no longer feasible for Norway to act as facilitator in the peace process,' a statement from the President's office said Monday.

Norway played the role of facilitator for talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) since 2000 and brokered the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). The agreement was unilaterally abrogated by Colombo in January 2008, claiming that the rebels have misused it strengthen its military mechanism.