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Burundi rebels say suspending
talks with Buyoya
BUJUMBURA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The main Hutu rebel group in Burundi said on Friday it was suspending all direct contact with President Pierre Buyoya because he was not respecting a truce accord signed by the two warring parties. The Forces for the Defence of Democracy (FDD), which along with other rebel factions has been fighting the Tutsi-led army since 1993, signed a ceasefire with the government in December. The truce has been repeatedly violated. In January, they agreed to set up a joint ceasefire commission to monitor the truce and to set up two food supply points for FDD rebels. But FDD leader Pierre Nkurunziza said on Friday Buyoya had not honoured his promises. "The Burundian army is pursuing attacks all over the country while its commander Pierre Buyoya signed a ceasefire in December," Nkurunziza said in a statement as African Union monitors began arriving in the central African country. "Additionally, the Burundi government has blockaded the food aid and medicines supplied by the European Union...Consequently, the FDD informs all Burundians and the international community that it will reply to all attacks by the army and that FDD fighters will find their own food." Heavy fighting between the army and rebel groups has been reported in several parts of the country over the past week. Fighters on both sides have often been accused of preying on the population, looting food or cattle. Nkurunziza said his faction would meet Buyoya once terms of the January deal were met. There was no immediate reaction from the government. The war in Burundi has killed around 300,000 people, mostly civilians, and fighting has raged despite attempts at ceasefires and a three-year transitional plan to share power between Hutus and Tutsis. The second main rebel group, the Forces for National Liberation, has refused to sign any accord. Two smaller factions have agreed to a truce, but analysts say their power is limited. MONITORS DEPLOY The African Union has begun deploying observers to monitor the ceasefire. A team of eight observers from Mali joined Togolese colleagues in Bujumbura on Friday and will be led by Tunisian Lieutenant Colonel Tahar Ayari. Eight Togolese monitors arrived earlier this month and nine Tunisian soldiers were due to arrive on Monday. Burkina Faso and Gabon are expected to confirm if they are also sending troops. "We are waiting for a complete team of 35 observers," Cecile Nkouelolo, political adviser to the African Union representative in Bujumbura, told reporters. The observer mission is due to be followed by a peacekeeping force which will oversee the disarmament of rebels. Nkurunziza said the FDD had not been involved in discussing deployment of the mission and said if his group was not brought into the planning, troops from across the continent would be treated as "forces which have come to disturb the peace." South Africa already has a 750-strong battalion in Bujumbura to protect members of the power-sharing government created in 2001 to try and steer Burundi away from ethnic violence.
The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni Uganda is in Anarchy" Le groupe de transmission de Mulindwas " avec Yoweri Museveni, Ouganda est dans anarchy " |
