Sri Lanka, rebels sign ceasefire accord

Sri Lankan soldiers patrol the northern town of Vavuniya where the Prime Minister is expected to announce the historic truce

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- The Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels have reached an accord on an open-ended ceasefire, a prelude to peace talks that are being facilitated by the Norwegian government.

Rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that was brought to him in the the rebel-controlled Wanni region by Norway's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jon Westborg on Thursday.

After an hour and a half meeting with the rebel leader, Westborg returned to Colombo on Friday morning where Prime Minster Ranil Wickremasinghe also signed the agreement.

The details of the memorandum of understanding have not been made public yet.

The prime minister flew by helicopter to military installations in the north and east to announce to soldiers that his government has reached an accord with the Tamil Tiger rebels.

News of the accord received an angry response from Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who charged the procedures used to reach the MOU ignored constitutional provisions that require presidential approval.

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She also said the cabinet of ministers and parliament have also not been informed of the details.

Kumaratunga said she only learned about the MOU after the rebel leader had signed it.

After nearly seven weeks of a truce, the peace process was nearly destroyed on Thursday when the rebels and the Sri Lankan navy fought in the deep seas off the northeast of the country.

Two sailors were killed and three others wounded in the fighting, which broke out when naval patrols intercepted a rebel logistics convoy.

Sri Lankan government officials said they have obtained assurances from the rebels, through the Norwegian facilitators, that they would abide by provisions of the ceasefire.

The Tamil Tigers have been fighting Sri Lankan government forces for a measure of autonomy for nearly two decades. The civil war has taken the lives of nearly 64,000 people.