Text of Nicaraguan Cease-Fire Agreement

This is the text of the agreement reached Wednesday night by the Sandinista government and the Contras:

The constitutional government of the Republic of Nicaragua and the Nicaraguan Resistance, meeting in Sapoa, Nicaragua . . . March 21, 22 and 23, 1988, with the purpose of contributing to national reconciliation, in the framework of the agreements of Esquipulas II, and in the presence of the witnesses his eminence Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, president of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua, and his excellency Ambassador Joao Clemente Baena Soares, secretary general of the Organization of American States, have reached the following agreement:

1. To cease offensive military operations throughout the national territory for a period of 60 days, starting (April 1), during which a full process of negotiations will be carried out for the definitive cease-fire, whose effective execution will take place together with the other commitments contemplated in Esquipulas II (the Central American peace agreement) to end the war.

Both sides agree meet at the highest level in Managua next April 6 to continue negotiations on the definitive cease-fire.

2. During the first 15 days, the forces of the Resistance will be situated in zones whose location, size and modus operandi will be mutually agreed upon through special commissions in a meeting in Sapoa to start Monday, March 28.

3. The government of Nicaragua will decree a general amnesty for persons on trial and convicted of violations of the Law for Maintenance of Order and Public Security, and for members of the army of the previous regime for crimes committed before July 19, 1979.

In the case of the former, the amnesty will be gradual and, taking into account the religious sentiments of the Nicaraguan people on the occasion of the Holy Week, the release of the first 100 prisoners will begin on Palm Sunday.

Later, at the time when the entry of the Nicaraguan Resistance forces into the mutually agreed upon zones is verified, 50% of the prisoners will be released.

The remaining 50% will be freed on a date after the signing of the definitive cease-fire, and which date will be agreed upon in the meeting of April 6 in Managua.

In the case of the prisoners contemplated in the last part of the first paragraph of this numeral, their release will begin with the signing of the definitive cease-fire, after a ruling by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission of the OAS.

The secretary general of the Organization of American States will be the guarantor and trustee of the fulfillment of this amnesty.

4. With the purpose of guaranteeing food and basic provisions for the irregular forces, exclusively humanitarian aid will be arranged and provided in conformance with numeral 5 of the Esquipulas II agreements, and will be channeled through neutral organizations.

5. The government of Nicaragua will guarantee unrestricted freedom of expression as is contemplated in the Esquipulas II agreement.

6. Once the forces of the Nicaraguan Resistance are concentrated in the mutually agreed upon zones, they will send to the National Dialogue as many delegates as the political organizations that form them, up to a maximum of eight.

In the National Dialogue, among other subjects, agreement will be reached on the one related to military service.

7. It is guaranteed that all persons, who for political or any other reasons have left the country, may return to Nicaragua and take part in the political, economic and social processes without any kind of conditions other than those established in the laws of the republic. They will not be tried, sanctioned or persecuted for activities of a political-military nature that they may have carried out.

8. The government of Nicaragua ratifies that the persons who reintegrate themselves into peaceful life will be able to participate with equality of conditions and guarantees in elections for the Central American Parliament and in municipal elections on the dates that are established for each, as well in national general elections on the date that the Constitution establishes.

9. For purposes of verifying the fulfillment of this agreement, a Verification Commission will be formed, constituted by the president of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua, his eminence Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, and the secretary general of the OAS, his excellency Ambassador Joao Clemente Baena Soares.

Technical assistance and needed services of this commission to permit and expedite the fulfillment, supervision and verification of this agreement will be solicited and entrusted to the secretary general of the OAS.

Transitory: Both sides agree to extend until April 1 of the current year the cessation of offensive military operations agreed upon by both last March 21.