ɪn ˈeɪpɹəl nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti ˈeɪt dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə nˈæʃənəl kənvˈɛnʃən ʌv ˈiːst tˈɪmoːɹs lˈɪvɪŋ ɐbɹˈɔːd bˌiːɪŋ hˈɛld ɪn pˈoːɹtʃəɡəl, ðə nˈæʃənəl kˈaʊnsəl ʌv tˈɪmoːɹs ɹᵻsˈɪstəns, sˌiːˌɛnˌɑːɹtˈiː wʌz fˈɔːɹmd, ɹᵻplˈeɪsɪŋ ðə sˌiːˌɛnˌɑːɹɹˈɛm ænd ɹˌiːɪnfˈoːɹsɪŋ ðə pɹˈiːviəs ɐtˈɛmpts tə jˈuːnɪfˌaɪ ˈɔːl ðə fˈækʃənz ʌvðə ɹᵻsˈɪstəns stɹˈʌɡəl ɐɡˈɛnst ɪndoʊnˈiːʒə.
In April 1998 during the National Convention of East Timorese Living Abroad being held in Portugal, the National Council of Timorese Resistance (, CNRT) was formed, replacing the CNRM and reinforcing the previous attempts to unify all the factions of the resistance struggle against Indonesia.