Nicaraguan Truce May Be Delayed : Separation of Forces Discussed by Contras, Sandinistas

Contra leaders began talks with the Sandinista government Monday on a separation of military forces, but they said the April 1 start of a formal 2-month truce is likely to be delayed.

Aristides Sanchez, head of the rebel delegation, announced after 3 hours of talks that negotiators will meet again today and then adjourn “until a later date” if their work remains unfinished.

Under the preliminary peace agreement signed here last Wednesday, all armed rebels in Nicaragua must gather in truce zones starting Friday. By then, the negotiators are supposed to map the zones, decide how the rebels are to be resupplied and agree on how to resolve truce violations.

A separate round of negotiations is to start in Managua on April 6 to set the political terms for disarming the estimated 10,000 anti-Sandinista guerrillas and thus achieve a definitive cease-fire.

Map of Proposed Zones

As Monday’s talks opened at this southern border post, the rebels handed the government a map of proposed truce zones. But they said they had not had time to prepare other technical aspects of their proposal.

A rebel spokesman, Bosco Matamoros, said the issues under discussion “are very complex and do not have magic formulas.”

Asked if that meant a formal truce will not begin Friday, as specified in the agreement last week, he argued: “Nothing is scheduled as such. I don’t see how it can (be). We need time to create elements of confidence among our forces that their security in those zones will be guaranteed.”

The rebels’ comments were the first sign that dissension in their ranks over the accord might prevent, or at least delay, its taking effect.

An unsupervised truce has been in force for a week, but each side has reported what it calls minor violations by the other. The talks this week are aimed at setting procedures to police the cease-fire.

Enrique Bermudez, the chief rebel commander, told Contra officials who met in Miami over the weekend that the truce agreement was “poorly negotiated.” He specifically objected to a compromise that will release some anti-Sandinista prisoners during the 60-day truce but keep others in jail until the rebels give up their arms.

Soldiers Balk

There were also signs that the rebel army, suddenly confronted by last week’s unexpected accord, is resisting the idea of concentrating in the truce zones.

Radio Liberation, the rebel station, broadcast statements Monday by civilian and military rebel leaders assuring the troops that they will not be disarmed until they can live in a freer Nicaragua.

The rebels’ chief military negotiator, Diogenes Hernandez, struck the same theme in remarks to reporters after Monday’s session.

Taking advantage of live radio microphones to reach rebel troops inside Nicaragua, the guerrilla, known as Comandante Fernando, declared:

“We are not going to lay down our arms until Nicaragua has a democracy. The Nicaraguan people do not want the Marxist democracy of the Sandinistas. We want a democracy more like that of Costa Rica.”

Specifically, Contra leaders have said that they expect the government to end the ruling Sandinista party’s absolute control of the army, judiciary and electoral commission before they agree to a definitive cease-fire. They also support the demand by opposition parties for a private television station.

Those issues, however, are beyond the scope of the technical negotiations being conducted here and were not raised in Monday’s session. The rebel negotiators’ public insistence here on political changes in Nicaragua signaled their uncertainty that peace is at hand.

Walter Calderon, another rebel negotiator, acknowledged that it is difficult to explain the truce agreement to his troops.

“This is going to be a long process,” he said. “When two armies have been fighting, you cannot break their mutual distrust overnight.”

The government made no offer of its own. Instead, it awaited the Contra proposal as a basis for negotiation.

Maj. Gen. Joaquin Cuadra, the Sandinista deputy defense minister and chief negotiator, said he is certain a quick agreement can be reached once the rebels complete their proposal.

Both delegations are dominated by military officers. The six-man Sandinista team includes four officers, who wore olive-green uniforms decorated with epaulets and medals. The eight rebel commanders, part of a 14-man delegation, wore camouflage field uniforms.