World Notes SOUTH AFRICA

It was a historic photo op: Nelson Mandela, head of the African National Congress delegation, sitting down to negotiate with South African President F.W. de Klerk. As three days of talks got under way last week, De Klerk called the government's first formal meeting with the A.N.C. since its founding in 1912 "a milestone."

Maybe, but there is still a long way to go. The A.N.C. went into the discussions with a firm set of demands that Pretoria must meet before real negotiations can begin: an end to the state of emergency imposed in 1986 and an amnesty for A.N.C. exiles and political prisoners. De Klerk, in turn, insisted that the A.N.C. formally abandon its "armed struggle" and stop the violence sweeping the country.

The talks concluded with a vaguely worded joint commitment to dispel the existing climate of violence and to establish a peaceful process of negotiation. It was not the truce many hoped for, but at least the two sides are still talking.