Rebels stop landing

Press, 18 June 1980, Page 6

Rebels stop landing

NZPA Port Vila. New Hebrides ' Three light planes with peace V: mission members and reporters . returned to Vila early- yesterday when rebels on the breakaway island of Espiritu Santo rolled oil drums and trucks on to the island’s; airstrip, land on the island.

The planes.were only 30 minutes from Santo when the rebel island’s control tower radioed. that the runway was blocked. - - An aircraft carrying Government -S-. peace negotiators and news agency journalists later took offon another attempt to land ori.,the island, a : Ari earlier .flight had been - delayed because French, officials '.were unable .to guarantee the safety of the negotiators, Government sources said.

• ; The rebel leader, Jimmy Stephens, and a band, of

followers?. took over Espiritu Sqnto on May .28,., i armed with bows and * arrows- -..... , , s . Mr Stephens and his 5. French-speaking supporters.; fear they will do badly under, the mainly administration of the Chief Minister (the Rev. Walter Lini) when this Condominium, ruled, jointly by France and Britain, becomes independent on July 30. There was no immediate indication yesterday of why the rebels had blocked the runway or •whether they were acting on the orders of Mr Stephens. The negotiators, including a Santo native, Mr Dela Molisa, manager of the Federation of Co-oper-atives in the. New Hebrides had hoped, to persuade secessionist leaders to lay down their arms. Father Lini said the

peace initiative would be Kr'tfie last attempt to bring Mr Stephens to the . conference table before force was used. ’■/- '■ ■ Late yesterday, the Espiritu Santo rebels proposed a new meeting with the government peace envoy on Thursday morning. The French Resident Commissioner (Mr Jean Jacques Robert) made radio contact with the rebels?: late yesterday and arranged the meeting. Mr Robert said that many French people had been shocked by the arrival of the British troops. . He feared the presence of the troops could worsen the division in the New Hebrides. ■ More than 200 British Royal Marines flew into Port Vila on Sunday after Father Lini had asked for help in ending the rebellion.