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Clinton to ask

Hassan to mediate

in Chechnya

MOSCOW: US President Bill Clinton is to ask Morocco's King Hassan II to act as an intermediary in peace talks in Chechnya, at the request of his Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin, a senior US official said on Sunday.

"The president indicated that he might be taking some steps at the request of President Yeltsin to assist in efforts to find a peaceful solution in Chechnya," the official, who asked to remain anonymous, told reporters following a US-Russian summit in Moscow.

"Specifically, as President Yeltsin indicated, King Hassan II of Morocco is one that President Yeltsin would like to see contacted by President Clinton," the official added.

On March 31, Yeltsin declared a unilateral ceasefire and announced the progressive withdrawal of troops from Chechnya. He also proposed indirect talks with separatist leader Dzhokhar Dudayev through the intermediary of Russian or foreign political leaders.

However the Russian offensive against separatist positions has increased in intensity since the peace plan was announced.

Between 30,000 and 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in the Chechen conflict, which was triggered by a massive Russian military intervention in December 194 aimed at crushing Dudayev's independence bid.-AFP