This morning, the Sri Lankan president formalized the victory of the regular army over the Tamil separatists.
In a nationally broadcast address to parliament, Mahinda Rajapaksa declared the end of 25 years of civil war. “The law now reigns over the whole country,” he said. The last fights took place in a handkerchief of 300 square meters. The last insurgents had taken refuge in a bunker protected by mines on the northeast coast of the island.
According to the United Nations. 72,000 civilians were trapped in the fighting in this area. The United States and the European Union called on the Sri Lankan nationalist government to use its victory to turn the page and reach out to the Tamil minority. Brussels is also calling for the urgent opening of an independent investigation into the allegations of human rights violations.