No quick end likely to siege

Press, 29 March 1980, Page 9

No quick end likely to siege

to siege NZPA-Reuter Bogota I The Colombian Government will renew negotiations with Left-wing guerrillas holding about 29 hostages ; inside the Dominican-Repub- | lie’s embassy in Bogota, next iweek, according to the' For-' 'eign' Minister (Mr,[Diego lUribe). I The Minister’s announce[ment yesterday indicated that the occupation by guerrillas of the M-19 movement who stormed the embassy on February 27 would drag on for a few more days at least. The last round of talks had ended with indications that the two sides -were nearer an agreement. But government sources said yesterday that prominent members of all the five main guerrilla organisations in Colombia were on the list of -28 prisoners the embassy occupiers wanted released, i I'iThe Government has said •it cannot release these prisoners without contravening : the country’s constitution. i But the guerrillas, who also want a further 42 prisv oners released, said the re- | lease of the 28 was non- ' negotiable. A spokesman at the ■ United States Embassy said [a special American erivby had arrived for talks with' Government officials on ’ the crisis, and would present a report to the United States Secretary of State (Mr Cyrus Vance) in Washington next week. I