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E. Timor president pleads for calmAustralian troops regaining control in strife-torn capital
Australian soldiers surround East Timor Foreign Minister Jose Horta. RELATEDYOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao has called for calm in his strife-torn country, where violence in the capital, Dili, has forced thousands to flee to camps in the surrounding countryside. The streets of East Timor's capital were safer, but not totally safe, Tuesday morning as international troops patroled the city in an attempt to quell violence that has threatened to rip the tiny nation apart. The government was locked in talks aimed at finding a solution to the conflict, which began in March when the government sacked hundreds of soldiers who left Dili for the countryside, where they set up armed camps. The violence has spread from sporadic attacks from those renegade soldiers to widespread looting and disruption by street-roaming gangs. Another round of violence broke an overnight calm Tuesday when two groups participated in a rock-throwing clash just outside the entrance to Dili's airport, the first main location secured by Australian troops who answered Dili's call for help. Australian troops escorted Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri -- who has been blamed by many in the tiny nation for failing to stop the unrest -- through a throng of protesters to a Cabinet meeting aimed at ending the unrest. By contrast, Gusmao -- hailed as a hero of East Timorese independence -- mixed with the crowd. "You should go to your homes," he told them. "We promise that we will resolve the East Timor problems. Please listen to me, therefore please go home and unite. We must embrace, unite and stay in our homes." Terrified residents have streamed out of Dili, a city of around 250,000, into makeshift camps in the surrounding countryside. Over a fifth of the entire population, or more than 50,000 people, already has left, the U.N. estimates. At least 27 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded in the latest violence. Businesses and schools remain closed in Dili amid mounting shortages of fuel, food and water. Long lines formed at a few open gas stations, AP reported. Non-governmental organizations said many areas were simply too dangerous to receive deliveries of aid. "If the security situation does not improve, it is possible that the humanitarian crisis could worsen significantly," Luis Vieira, a spokesman for a group of aid agencies, said in a statement. There was a serious threat of disease outbreaks, he said. The 1,300-strong force has claimed some progress in stemming the violence, but Prime Minister John Howard admitted Monday the going was tough -- especially since the Australians lack the power to make arrests. "This is quite a dangerous operation," he said Monday. "You are dealing with a whole lot of disparate, uncontrolled gangs." Howard said that the violence was, in a sense, "more dangerous than it was in 1999," when East Timor broke away from Indonesia in a wave of violent protests. "In 1999, you had in effect an ordered retreat, not the disparate disorganized number of gangs you are dealing with." East Timor's troubles began in March, when the government fired 600 soldiers who had gone on strike against alleged discrimination in the military. After staging deadly riots last month, the sacked troops fled the seaside capital, setting up positions in the surrounding hills and threatening guerrilla war if they were not reinstated. One leader of the renegade forces, Maj. Agosto De Araujo, said the ousted troops had sent a message to Gusmao offering to join peace talks. "We are ready to be called back to the negotiating table at any time," De Araujo told The Associated Press by telephone. East Timor, formally known as the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, became independent in 2002. It declared independence in 1975 after four centuries as a Portuguese colony, but Indonesian troops invaded just days later and ruled it for the next 24 years. East Timor broke away from Indonesia amid a wave of violent protests that followed a 1999 referendum on independence. A U.N. transitional administration ruled the territory for nearly three years before full independence in May 2002. CNN's Becky Anderson contributed to this report Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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