Olympics-Local warfare our biggest challenge, says Rio mayor

LONDON Oct 19 (Reuters) - Rio de Janeiro still has a long way to go to solve its security problems before hosting the 2016 Olympic Games, the city's mayor said on Monday.

After a weekend wave of violence across the Brazilian city left 12 people dead, Eduardo Paes said combating local warfare presented the biggest challenge to Games organisers in the next seven years.

"We never hid our problems during the bid process. We always told people -- and we are still facing problems," Paes told the Global Sports Industry Summit in London. "We still have a lot to do, we have a long way to go and what happened this weekend showed that."

On Saturday, drug traffickers shot down a police helicopter in Rio killing two officers, while 10 suspected gang members were killed in the city's worst recent outbreak of violence.

The incident came only two weeks after the Brazilian city was awarded the Olympics, beating off the challenge of Madrid, Chicago and Tokyo.

The beach-side city of six million people may be reputed for colourful partying but it is also one of the world's most violent, with almost daily shoot-outs between police and the heavily armed gangs that control many of its roughly 1,000 slums.

But Paes insisted all would be well by the time the Olympics rolled into town.

"We are sure by 2016 we will deliver the Games and hopefully in a way that the city will be more peaceful and secure for all our citizens," he said.

"We worry about security for our citizens, for our everyday lives, for the visitors that come on a regular basis. That's our challenge but things are moving forward. ... The violence we face in Rio will be much, much better by 2016."

Rio's surprise victory in the race to stage the Games means Brazil will host the world's two biggest sporting jamborees back to back.

Many observers questioned whether hosting the World Cup in 2014 would work against Rio but Paes said the opposite ended up being the case.

"It showed the International Olympic Committee that Rio would have to be ready two years in advance," he said.

Craig Reedie, British member of the International Olympic Committee's executive board, said he "deeply regretted" the weekend violence in Rio but that it should not detract from what the city had to offer. "They had a splendid campaign," he said. "It was an enormous effort."

(editing by Justin Palmer; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)