SA minister meets rebel leader

Dublin - A diplomatic conflict between South Africa and Indonesia over the continued imprisonment of Mr Xanana Gusmao, the East Timor rebel leader, escalated this week during a visit to Indonesia of President Nelson Mandela's Foreign Minister, writes David Shanks. The Minister, Mr Alfred Nzo, met the rebel leader in Cipinang prison, Jakarta, for talks that East Timor solidarity sources in Australia say were bugged. Afterwards, Mr Nzo said a letter he carried to President Suharto from President Mandela expressed "dissatisfaction" with the slowness of the process of releasing Mr Gusmao for negotiations on the illegal Indonesian occupation of East Timor.