ROLAND BUERK reports Sri Lanka correspondent

	Former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe hands over the truce pact to Norwegian Ambassador Jon Westborg

It is still in place, on paper at least, but the country has been sliding back towards war. More than three and a half thousand people were killed last year, according to an official count.

Officially, Sri Lanka's ceasefire still holds. But on the ground, the fighting continues.

Fighting continues

This week, there have been air strikes, clashes at police posts and mines left by roads have been recovered.

In recent months, the military has driven the Tiger rebels from much of the east and the government hasn't ruled out taking similar action in the north.

Ramil Wickramasinghe, now leader of the opposition, was prime minister five years ago and signed the ceasefire agreement.

"The fighting is not over yet. At the moment the armed forces are trying to secure the eastern province. You need to negotiate the settlement because the longer it takes the economy will go down and Sri Lanka will miss those opportunities that's available to it now; new developments in Asia and the regional economy,Wickremasinghe said.

The ceasefire floundered amid mutual mistrust. The Tigers walked out on negotiations complaining they were being sidelined.

Disputes over how to share the huge inflow of aid after the tsunami didn't help.

CFA a mistake - president

Sri Lanka's President, Mahinda Rajapakse, has said the agreement was a mistake because it demarcated areas as being under Tiger control.

	LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran signing the CFA

Jehan Pereira is from the National Peace Council which campaigns for a negotiated settlement.

"Six years ago we didn't think that it was possible for the war to stop and stop as long as it did and this is what gives me the hope that maybe there will be another astonishing change in the future. Perhaps the ceasefire agreement was not signed with such thought, now in retrospect you can say that, but those who signed it did have a vision.",says Jehan Perera.

Lay down arms

Mahinda Rajapakse has offered new talks but only if the Tigers lay down their arms first.

They've rejected the idea. The President has said he doesn't want the conflict to pass to another generation but successive Sri Lankan leaders have failed to find a solution and a lasting peace.

LTTE reaction

Calling the Sri Lankan government's military action as " war of aggression, aimed at the subjugation of the Tamil people" ,the Tamil Tigers have said that it has compelled the "Tamil people to resume their freedom struggle to realize their right to self - determination and to achieve statehood."

Unique document

Even though today the CFA exists only on paper, it remains a unique document in the search for an end to the national conflict in the island Sri Lanka,LTTE added in a statement.