A retired Norwegian army general, heading the international monitoring mission of the ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil guerrillas, is finalising a team of Scandinavians who will monitor the ceasefire as he prepares to meet guerrilla chief Velupillai Prabharkaran.

Major General Trond Furuhovde, who arrived in Sri Lanka on Saturday, is scheduled to leave for the Tamil guerrilla controlled Wanni region today to meeting Prabhakaran and other LTTE representatives to discuss modalities for the monitoring process.

Furuhovde went into talks with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe shortly after landing here. He was accompanied by two other Norwegians. He was scheduled to meet President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday before leaving for Wanni.

In addition to a meeting with the LTTE chief, the monitoring team will also meet other senior members of the guerrilla movement to ensure that the monitoring process is carried out without any hindrance.

The LTTE's political wing leader Thamil Chelvam is expected to co-ordinate activities with the monitoring group. A meeting will be held with the LTTE intelligence wing leader, Pottu Amman, deputy military chief of the movement, Balaraj, head of the Sea-Tiger unit, Soosai and the Women's Brigade chief, Vithusha among the area leaders.

Furuhovde is also expected to tour the north-eastern Trincomalee district and the northern Jaffna district within the coming week to co-ordinate the monitoring process in which the representatives of Tamil guerrilla and the government will also be involved.

The head of the mission, who has UN peace-keeping experience in Lebanon, is a recipient of several awards including Commander National Order (Lebanon) in 1989 and the Grand Officer National Cedar Order (Lebanon) in 1995.

Other parties in the south are expected to meet the head of the monitoring mission and make representations. Among them is the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) which has been claiming that the Muslim community has been subjected to extortion in the past few weeks.

They have claimed that Muslims living in the north-eastern Muttur have been affected.

SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem said that after the monitoring team is fully established they would be meeting the team.

The team is expected to have 15 international monitors backed by the LTTE and government nominees and to carry out monitoring in six of the eight north and eastern districts.

Two districts have been left out on the grounds that the military does not operate in these two districts, but most of the LTTE activities including their main bases are situated there.

The two districts – Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu – are the sites of main bases including that where Prabhakaran lives. The coastal district of Mullaitivu is also the main location where the LTTE took delivery of its arms.

However the government has said that the monitoring team will have access to all districts including the sea if there are specific complaints.

The ceasefire between the two sides came into effect on February 23 and there have been no reports of a violation.