"Other issues include the movement and monitoring of Burundi armed forces to
the barracks, the movement and monitoring of armed parties, combatants to
disengagement and assembly areas under the escort of the United Nations (UN)."
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Wow!!! .fellow citizens .... I hear UN is going to, listen to this, ESCORT
combatants to "disengagement and assembly areas."
Matek
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Mbeki, Zuma Join Great Lakes Leaders to Resolve Burundian Conflict
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BuaNews (Pretoria)
December 1, 2002
Posted to the web December 2, 2002
Matome Sebelebele
President Thabo Mbeki and his deputy Jacob Zuma are in the Tanzanian town of
Arusha today, to attend a one-day regional summit to review the deadlocked
Burundi peace process.
Mr Zuma is the chief mediator in the Burundian conflict while President Mbeki
is attending in his capacity as the chairperson of the African Union (AU).
The two leaders, together with their Great Lakes counterparts, are helping to
resolve the conflict in the central African state that continue to separate
the Transitional Government of Burundi and the National Council for the
Defence of Democracy-Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), led by
Pierre Nkurunziza.
Today's gathering however follows the final round of talks chaired by Mr
Zuma, aimed to finalise outstanding differences pertaining to the agreement
between the two parties.
These include the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Burundi and that of
Burundian armed forces from foreign lands.
The summit will 'examine whether the current ceasefire negotiations between
the Burundi government and the main rebel group can or cannot reach a
positive conclusion.'
Other issues include the movement and monitoring of Burundi armed forces to
the barracks, the movement and monitoring of armed parties, combatants to
disengagement and assembly areas under the escort of the United Nations (UN).
The poverty-stricken Burundian state has endured a civil war since 1993, with
government forces dominated by the minority Tutsi ethnic group fighting Hutu
rebels.
The conflict has claimed some 300 000 mainly civilian lives, according to the
UN.
