Former PM in peace lecture

Mr Rocard held ministerial appointments under Mitterrand

A former French prime minister is to share his experience of conflict resolution at a speech in Londonderry.

Michel Rocard is set to deliver a peace lecture at the University of Ulster's Magee campus in the city.

He was prime minister of France from 1988 to 1991.

In 1988, Mr Rocard chaired the negotiations which led to the Matignon Accords - designed to bring an end to violence in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia.

His lecture will include a video presentation on his peacemaking work in New Caledonia.

The lecture has been organised by the university's Tip O'Neill Chair in Peace Studies, and is sponsored by the Ireland Funds.

'Furious controversy'

Mr Rocard, who led the Unified Socialist party, was active in the 1968 French student demonstrations and won a small percentage of the 1969 presidential vote.

In 1974, he supported Francois Mitterrand for the presidency and later merged his party with the new socialist party.

Mr Mitterrand died in January 1996

He held several ministerial appointments in the Mitterrand administration but resigned in 1985.

Three years later he was elected prime minister.

In November 1998, a furious controversy erupted after Mr Rocard attacked the late President Francois Mitterrand on the grounds that he was "not an honest man".

Mr Mitterrand died in January 1996, less than a year after he had finished two seven-year terms as a socialist president.

In a magazine article Mr Rocard spoke of a clique in the government which he called a "black guard".

Mr Rocard said he took the job of prime minister to protect the country against certain tendencies and trends.

The late president's supporters replied with a torrent of abuse directed against Mr Rocard.

Friday's lecture is open to the public and takes place at 1800 BST.