BRIEF: East Timorese Guerilla Leader Arrested

DILI, East Timor - Last Wednesday, police in East Timor arrested Vicente "Railos" da Conciecao at his home.  Railos has been connected to former interior minister Rogerio Lobato, who is currently serving a 7.5 year sentence for distributing weapons and ammunition to civilians during the military mutiny last May.  The unrest during that time period led to the deployment of the current United Nations peacekeeping force.

The UN's investigation into the events showed that Railos was responsible for ambushes of Timorese soldiers, resulting in nine deaths.

Former ruling party Fretilin alleges that Ralios is responsible for continuing violence and that he had traveling papers signed by current Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.  Mari Alkatiri, former prime minister and current opposition leader, said that if Ralios was not arrested, the Fretilin militants would take him themselves.  It was Ralios's allegations that Alkatiri had hired a hit squad to get rid of political rivals that led to Alkatiri's resignation as prime minister.

For more information, please see:

Reuters - East Timor arrests alleged hit squad leader - 03 October 2007

Sydney Morning Herald - Guerilla chief arrested over deadly riots in Dili - 04 October 2007