Summit on Burundi starts in Pretoria

Representatives from 10 countries, among them five heads of state from the Great Lakes region, gathered in Pretoria, South Africa, on Thursday to discuss the installation of a transitional government in strife-torn Burundi. Former South African President Nelson Mandela, the Burundi peace facilitator, chaired the meeting which brought together presidents Omar Bongo of Gabon, Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania and Pierre Buyoya of Burundi. South Africa was represented by Deputy President Jacob Zuma. Other countries present included Ghana, Malawi and Rwanda which all sent ministers. Representatives of two anti-government groups, the National Liberation Front (Front national de liberation - FNL) and the Forces for the Defence of Democracy (les Forces pour la Defense de la democratie - FDD) are participating in the peace talks for the first time. Both are not signatories to the Arusha peace accord. Discussions focused on practical steps required for installing a power-sharing transitional government in Burundi by 1 November. The transitional government is to be established under the August 2000 agreement signed in Arusha, Tanzania. Officials said the immediate issue to be resolved related to the protection of exiled political leaders who would be returning to Burundi to take up positions in the transitional government. A small security force would be required for this purpose. Soldiers for such a force are likely to come from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa. The four countries have already offered to provide staff for a UN peacekeeping force in Burundi. Defence ministers from three of these four countries met in Pretoria on Wednesday to review peacekeeping needs in Burundi. The UN Security Council appealed to all parties on Wednesday "to seize this opportunity and to work together in a sprit of compromise" in resolving such issues blocking the advance to peace. The Council also said it was solidly behind the installation of the transitional government on 1 November. The Council also called on all states to end support to the FNL and the FDD, and urged states - particularly the Democratic republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zimbabwe - to encourage armed groups to join the peace process. Armed groups, Council said, should immediately suspend hostilities and negotiate a cease-fire. Burundi has been at civil war since 1993, pitting Hutu rebels against the minority Tutsi government and army. An estimated 200,000 people have died in the conflict so far. Under the proposed transitional government accord, Buyoya would serve as the first president for 18 months. During this time, the vice-president would be Domitien Ndayizeye, a Hutu from the Front for Democracy in Burundi. A Hutu, seconded by Tutsi vice-president, would lead the country for the following 18 months.