Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 3, 1990                   TAG: 9004030451
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MONTELIMAR, NICARAGUA                                LENGTH: Short

TOP CONTRA TO DISBAND HIS FORCES

In Tegucigalpa, Honduras, a Contra spokesman said all rebel forces remaining in that country will surrender their weapons to U.N. monitors on April 18.

In an accord March 23, a lower-ranking Contra commander agreed to demobilize.

But deep divisions remain in the rebel ranks, with many rank-and-file fighters saying they won't lay down their arms by the time the new Nicaraguan government takes office on April 25.

Callejas made his announcement when he arrived in Nicaragua for a two-day summit with four other Central American presidents in Montelimar, a new beach resort 40 miles from the capital, Managua.

The top item on the agenda was demobilizing the U.S.-backed Contras, who have waged a 10-year war against Nicaragua's leftist government.

Callejas said top rebel commander Israel Galeano, also known as Commander Franklyn, had assured him the Contras would disband by the time President-elect Violeta Barrios de Chamorro is sworn in.

The Honduran president spoke with reporters after meetings with Chamorro and Roman Catholic Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo in Managua.

The cardinal witnessed the March accord in Honduras between Contras representatives and those of Chamorro.

There have been doubts about the viability of the accord because Galeano did not sign it and thousands of Contras have since returned to Nicaragua with their guns.