Renewed Santo hope

Press, 12 July 1980, Page 6

Renewed Santo hope

NZPA-Reuter Port Vila Members of the AngloFrench negotiating team in the New Hebrides plan to return to the rebel island of Espiritu Santo during thfe week-end. This has given renewed

hope of a settlement to the six-week-old dispute which started on May 28 when se-l cessionist rebels under the leadership of Mr Jimmy Stevens seized power on Santo. They have since defied all efforts of the colonial Powers, Britain and France, and the New Hebrides Government, to allow the central government to reassert its authority. A spokesman for the New Hebrides Government, Mr John Beasant, said last evening that the Chief Minister (the Rev. Walter Lini) was encouraged by the determination of the two negotia-

tors to bring about a settlement on Santo. Two legal experts, Professor Yash Gai, of Warwick University, and Mr Arnaud Lizop, of France, will go back to Santo, probably tomorrow, to be followed the next day by Mr Jean Arribaud, of the French Overseas Territories Department, and Mr Alan Donald, of the British Foreign Office. Mr Beasant said Father Lini had sent messages to London and Paris seeking public reaffirmations of the proposed independence date of July 30 for the New Hebrides.