THE two Libyan suspects in the Lockerbie case are to appear before a Scottish court in the Netherlands on April 6th, the South African President, Mr Mandela, announced yesterday in Tripoli.
In a speech to the Libyan parliament, Mr Mandela also said that Libya was to inform the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, of a "firm date" for the handover of the two Libyans suspected of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
"I can today announce to the world that Libya has decided to write to the Secretary-General of the United Nations to give a firm date for the handing over for trial in the Netherlands of the two Libyan nationals named as suspects in the Lockerbie case," Mr Mandela said.
Mr Mandela was speaking after the Libyan leader, Col Muammar Gadafy, told members of the Libyan General People's Congress that Libya had received from the leaders of South Africa and Saudi Arabia "all the guarantees" needed to allow for a handover of the two Libyans for trial in the Netherlands.
However, the United States reiterated a call to Libya to physically hand over the two Lockerbie suspects.
The US ambassador, Mr Peter Burleigh, reacting to Mr Mandela's statement that the suspects would be handed over by April 6th, said that "more important than the date" is the actual handover.
"This is the key, and this is what is required by the resolution, and this is the one criterion about whether Libya has complied," said Mr Burleigh.
Libya's ambassador to the United Nations said that a letter to Mr Annan said that two suspects would be handed over for trial by April 6th. The US and Britain set a month-long deadline on February 26th for the handover of the two, who are wanted for the 1988 bombing of a US airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, which left 270 people dead.