Relatives hail Libya payout offer

Guillaume Denoix de Saint-Marc (2nd right) said scars can now heal

Families of those killed in the 1989 bombing of a French airliner have welcomed a compensation deal from Libya as a necessary step towards healing.

Tripoli agreed to pay $1m to the relatives of each of 170 victims though it denies involvement in the attack.

"Fourteen years is a long, long time to wait," said Danielle Klein, whose brother Jean-Pierre was killed.

But she was also concerned that victims of the Lockerbie bombing were offered substantially more by Libya.

Tripoli accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie attack and agreed to pay a total of $2.7bn to relatives of the 270 victims.

"The Lockerbie deal made us realise they were deaths which were seen as more important financially than our deaths," Ms Klein said.

"At least now, we are receiving compensation worthy of the name - it's not the jackpot but it's a decent amount."

Guillaume Denoix de Saint-Marc, who had helped to negotiate the settlement, insisted that families were satisfied and that the signing of a compensation agreement was an important milestone for them.

"There is a bit of general euphoria linked to the end of enormous negotiations, the end of 14, nearly 15 years of grieving," said Mr Denoix de Saint-Marc whose father Jean was one of 54 French citizens killed.

"The Libyan Government has finally recovered its honour."

'Gesture' appreciated

People of 17 different nationalities died when the UTA plane exploded in mid-air over the Sahara, among them dozens of Congolese taking the flight from their capital, Brazzaville, to Paris.

We've got to look for forgiveness but we are not going to forget Charles Norrie, victim's brother

"Money cannot replace the relatives that we lost. But it is a gesture and welcome compensation," said Norbert Dabira on behalf of the Congo families.

The attack claimed the life of James Norrie, one of four Britons on the plane. His brother, Charles, told the BBC: "Once you've been involved in something like that, a life event like that, you live with it for the rest of your life."

He added: "We've got to look for forgiveness but we are not going to forget."

Michel Rocard, French Prime Minister at the time of the bombing, commented on the efforts made by Tripoli to secure a deal.

"It probably needed a deep move inside the Libyan authorities and now this move seems to have been done. What was important for us was the families, naturally."