afrol News, 22 July - As the São Toméan military junta, which took control in a coup on 16 July, is negotiating with foreign representatives, pressure mounts to re-establish the civilian government. Discussions now focus on the conditions for the agreed-upon return of President Fradique de Menezes, who is in Nigeria.

Coup leader and Major Fernando "Cotó" Pereira already on Friday had admitted his junta was creating conditions for a possible return of President Menezes. At that stage, the international delegation - which aims at returning a civilian government to power - had already announced it would go to São Tomé. President Menezes' return may thus have been an international condition for negotiations.

President Menezes was visiting his Nigerian counterpart, President Olusegun Obasanjo, as the military junta took power in a bloodless coup. Since then, he has mobilised the international community to condemn the coup and work for his re-installation.

Meanwhile, a large international negotiation team has arrived the archipelago and has been holding discussions with the junta all night. The negotiators represent eight countries - Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, Mozambique, Nigeria and Portugal - under the auspices of the African Union. Also US representatives participated.

Under pressure from this powerful alliance, the junta yesterday gave into one of the principal demands of the international community, namely freeing the islands' detained ministers and leading politicians detained immediately after the coup. They were however put in house arrest. Prime Minister Maria das Neves is still reported to be hospitalised by the shock she endured during her detention.

While the international delegation has welcomed the ministers' release as "a breakthrough", they still have five more demands on their agenda, including creating conditions for a return of President Menezes, according to Portuguese Foreign Minister António Martins da Cruz. He also said "a climate of dialogue" had been created.

Today, Angolan Interior Minister Oswaldo van Dunen told reporters the junta in São Tomé had agreed to let President Menezes return. "One of the issues that we have to discuss, are the conditions for his return," the Angolan Minister added.

São Toméan President Menezes thus is gaining an upper hand from his Nigerian exile and is now setting conditions for his return. His spokesman Guillaume Neto says President Menezes demands the military return to their barracks and that constitutional order be restored. "Once those conditions are met, the President can return and discuss the military's concerns," Mr Neto said.

These are exactly the conditions the international delegation wants to see fulfilled. The negotiators are hopeful they can repeat the story from São Tomé's first and only military coup until now. In 1995, when troops revolted over poor pay and conditions, an Angolan mediation team succeeded in restoring the government to power within a week.

Also this military coup seems to stand a good chance of reaching a positive result. No one was hurt during the coup, political leaders that were detained have been set free, coup leaders are discussing a solution with international mediators and the so-called "National Salvation Junta" is not violating civil rights.

Although the junta had detained leading São Toméan politicians at the eve of the coup, it has not reacted hostile to a growing expression of dissent. The independent daily 'Téla Nón' on Friday - only two days after the coup - published a BBC interview with President Menezes. In the following days, the daily has published statements from abroad and within the country, calling for a return of the constitutional order.

On Sunday, also São Tomé's largest political party, the social democratic MLSTP, issued a statement saying a coup d'état was not the rightful answer to the poverty addressed by Junta spokesmen. MLSTP called for "respect for the constitutional order", the immediate liberation of Prime Minister Neves and preparations for the return of President Menezes.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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