You Go First, No <i> You </i> Go First : Obando Says Ortega Is OK; How About the Contras?

Nicaragua’s Contra rebels and its Sandinista government are dancing a tense, deadly minuet as they wind down their civil war. Both claim that they want to disarm, but insist that the other side lay down its weapons first. Their first disarmament agreement, signed just last week, shows how difficult breaking the standoff will be.

On Friday, a delegation representing President-elect Violeta Chamorro persuaded Contra leaders in their base camps in Honduras to lay down their arms a few days before Chamorro takes over the government from Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega. While most Contras are understandably dubious about the Sandinistas, they signed the accord because they trust the man who led the delegation, the leader of Nicaragua’s Catholic Church, Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo. Within a day, however, other Contra units deployed inside Nicaragua announced that they will not hand in their guns that soon. As if to emphasize the point, over the weekend a band of Contras ambushed a dozen Sandinista soldiers and killed them.

The continued violence is worrisome. There is no more reason for the Contras to wage war. And while Nicaraguans are not divided by the kinds of deep-seated ancient hatreds that plague other world hot spots, the more violence there is now, the more the bloodshed will be prolonged by bitter survivors bent on revenge.

The sooner everyone in Nicaragua lays down their guns, the better it will be for all concerned. Last week’s Honduran accord provided a start: Obando was one of the most consistent critics of the Sandinistas, and is revered by most of the Contras as a result. Perhaps he can help--even accompany--the peacekeeping troops from the United Nations and the Organization of American States that have the task of bringing the Contras into secure zones and collecting their weapons. The cardinal says he believes that Ortega will give up power peacefully. Let’s hope he’s right. And let’s hope he can persuade the Contras.