Sri Lanka president 'declares victory' over Tamil Tigers
The country's army has claimed to have surrounded the Tamil Tigers in a small area in the country's northeast.
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Saturday, 16, May 2009 11:03
The Sri Lanka president has declared victory over the Tamil Tiger rebels after decades of civil war, reports suggest.
Speaking during a visit to Jordan, Mahinda Rajapakse said he would be returning to a country free from the "barbaric acts" of the militants.
Earlier, the Sri Lankan army announced it had captured the last area of coast held by the rebels in the north-east of the country.
The military claimed to have cornered the separatist Tigers, who have been fighting for an independent homeland for ethnic Tamils, in a 2km area and were working towards ending their domination of the area.
United Nations special advisor Francis Deng urged the two sides to begin negotiations warning that the conflict would persist if the issue of ethnic rivalry was not addressed.
Mr Deng said: "This polarising conflict is identity-related with ethnicity and religion as deeply divisive factors. It will not end with winners and losers and it cannot be ended solely through a military victory that may not be sustainable in the long-run unless legitimate grievances are addressed."
The UN has urged the Tamil Tigers to allow civilians to leave the area and to end the practice of using them as shields. The international community has also urged Sri Lanka to be mindful of the rights of civilians in its military operations.
In the past few months, Sri Lanka's government has made major gains in the war against the rebel group and captured many of its strongholds in the country's northern and eastern parts.
The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for an independent homeland in the island's northern parts for the country's Tamil minority since 1983. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.