Dili Death Squads

Embattled East Timor Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, looks set to trigger a new round of violence, rather than give in to President Xanana Gusmao's resignation demand.

Gusmao made the demand following the arrest of dismissed interior minister Rogerio Lobato’s arrest on suspicion of arming political supporters.

It seems Alkatiri might have good reason to stick to his guns.

Rebel leader Vicente "Railos" da Conceicao has claimed Alkatiri and former interior minister Rogerio Lobato armed a secret death squad, with him as its leader, to target political opponents of the Prime Minister.

East Timor Prime Minister, Mari Alkatir

Death Squad claims

Attorney-General Longuinos Monteiro, whose office issued a warrant for Mr Lobato's arrest over the death-squad allegations, said yesterday he had "no evidence against the Prime Minister" but expected Lobato and Conceicao to stand trial - the latter for illegal weapons possession.

A former Falantil resistance fighter, Colonel Railos, has also alleged the Prime Minister ordered his Lobato to supply him and his 30 men with weapons to eliminate Alkatiri's political opponents.

Now, they are mounting a case against Railos and his men, alleging that because they are civilians, it is illegal for them to possess weapons.

A document currently doing the rounds purports to be a memo written to the then interior minister, Rogerio Lobato, matching 30 names with the serial numbers of weapons.

The memo says Minister Lobato asked a local border patrol commander to arm these former resistance fighters to form a private army.

The commander said the orders came right from the top, but Prime Minister Alkatiri denies any involvement.

East Timor was plunged into violence in May after Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri sacked 600 of the 1,400-strong army for mutiny when they protested about alleged discrimination against soldiers from the west of the country.

Since then, rebel troops and thousands of protesters have called for Alkatiri's removal, blaming him for the violence that has seen youth gangs fighting, looting and burning buildings in Dili.

The prosecutor-general said recently, that there was no clear evidence linked Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri to charges that his former interior minister armed civilians to attack political opponents.

"I am sure and I am clear that from this particular case and to date, we have no evidence against the Prime Minister. And we have no idea yet about his involvement in this particular case," Longuinhos Monteiro said.

Foreign minister, Jose Ramos Horta, says a UN investigation into the country's recent bloodshed could begin soon.
The UN has agreed to carry out a formal inquiry into several incidents in which civilians, police, and soldiers have died in gunfights and other violence.
Ramos Horta says East Timor's own authorities are clearly incapable of doing their own investigations, because of the allegations against them, and because of the ongoing political crisis.

Stand off continues

So for now it is a showdown between President Xanana Gusmao and embattled PM, Mari Alkatiri.

"I can only give you an opportunity to make a decision: you either resign ... or I will fire you myself because you no longer have my trust," Gusmao told the PM.

Alkatiri's ruling Fretilin party also demanded the prime minister's resignation, accusing him of lying about distributing weapons to civilians, said party member Vicente Maubucy Ximenes.

With mounting evidence of death squads, some who are still armed and active, even Alkatiri fears that his resignation would trigger a new round of violence.