President Nelson Mandela has offered to host talks in South Africa to solve the problems of the troubled territory of Indonesian-occupied East Timor, a UN official said yesterday.
The UN's special envoy for East Timor, Mr Jamsheed Marker, said Mr Mandela "very kindly offered" to supply a venue for ongoing talks between Indonesia's regime and exiled East Timor activists.
He praised Mr Mandela for his "important contribution that has given a great impetus to the ongoing negotiations". He said the process required the participation of the East Timorese leaders, some of whom are in exile.
"The talks are continuing and there is no indication whatsoever of a breakdown. Talks are continuing, they are not concluded," he added.
Mr Mandela (79) made the offer when the two men met early yesterday in Pretoria.
Mr Mandela said South Africa had received "no direct response" to a request for the release of jailed East Timorese rebel leader, Xanana Gusmao, whom he met in a rare encounter granted by President Suharto of Indonesia during a visit last month.
However, Indonesia has no plans to comply with Mr Mandela's request for the release of Gusmao - whose 20-year sentence was reduced by three months to mark Indonesia's independence - Jakarta newspapers have reported.
Jakarta received the request only on August 1st, according to Indonesian press reports. In the interim, the note was mistakenly delivered to the Portuguese embassy in South Africa which, according to Jakarta, leaked the contents to journalists in Lisbon.
Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 at the time when Portugal was overthrowing dictatorial rule at home and withdrawing from most of its colonies. The UN has never recognised Indonesian rule over East Timor and still sees Portugal as the administrator of the territory.