Sydney, Australia, Mar 4, 2008 / 20:48 pm
A rebel commander who took part in the assassination attempt on the president of East Timor surrendered to Timorese security forces early Sunday morning, inspiring hopes that a rebel leader will soon surrender to the Catholic Church, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Amaro Da Costa was at the home of East Timor’s President, Jose Ramos-Horta, the morning the president was shot and seriously wounded. Da Costa has agreed to tell authorities all he knows about the attacks.
Da Costa’s surrender is considered a breakthrough and has fueled speculation about the imminent surrender of other rebels. Da Costa, a former police commando, was a confidant of the rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, who was killed during the gunfight at President Ramos-Horta’s house.
Another rebel leader, Gastao Salsinha, reportedly has been negotiating his surrender to the Catholic Church.