The Georgian President, Eduard Shevardnadze, has told gunmen holding four United Nations military observers hostage that he will not tolerate civil war in the country.

Rezo Adamia the Chairman of the Georgian Parliament's Security Committee (2' 09")

Speaking on television, Mr Shevardnadze also accused the gunmen of taking part in last week's attempt to assassinate him.

Security minister Jamal Gakhokidze has been negotiating with the kidnappers, who are surrounded by troops in a house near the western town of Zugdidi.

They have threatened to kill the hostages unless the authorities free those being held in connection with the abortive assassination.

The leader of the gang negotiates with Georgian officials

The captives are four UN military observers who were monitoring a May 1994 ceasefire between Georgian troops and Abkhazian separatists.

The gunmen say they are supporters of the former Georgian president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who died in 1993 after an unsuccessful attempt to oust Mr Shevardnadze.

Mr Shevardnadze said: "Everyone should know; there is no place in Georgia for civil war. Any action against Georgia serves only to bring the people together."

"Rescue bid in 24 hours"

Addressing himself directly to the hostage-takers, he added: "There is no place for chaos. Let them see me and listen.

"I know that among them are people who took part in the attack against me," the Georgian leader said.

Eduard Shevardnadze ... survived attack

Earlier, Mr Gakhokidze said "everything will be done to free the hostages", according to the Interfax news agency.

And presidential aide Levan Aleksindze told Itar-Tass that "an operation to free the Zugdidi hostages should take place within 24 hours".

"Terrorists have nothing to lose"

However, it was not clear if that meant the security forces would storm the house.

A source close to the negotiations said: "military action by the authorities could prove fatal to the hostages as well", adding that there were "many difficulties" in the talks, whose general tone was "poor".

"The terrorists are firm in their demands, because they have nothing to lose. Mr Shevardnadze blames them for the attack on his life and he will never forgive them," the source added.

Around 20 heavily armed men are thought to be holding the local mayor and his family in the mayor's home as well as the UN observers: a Swede, a Czech, and two Uruguayans plus their driver.

In Prague, the news agency CTK said the Czech captive had telephoned his country's embassy in Moscow to report that all four UN observers were fine.

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