Authorities strengthen civilian self-defence

Military and civilian authorities on Monday "boosted" civil defence forces around Bujumbura after the weekend attack by Hutu rebels during which more than 50 civilians and rebels were reportedly killed. The Rwandan government officials visited many areas around Bujumbura to "alert the people... that terroris genocide perpetrators have decided to intensify attacks", Radio Burundi quoted Defence Minister Alfred Nkurunziza as saying. "We have increased the number of security force personnel and have asked the people to redouble their vigilance and patrol at night alongside the security forces," Nkurunziza added. Informed IRIN sources suggested on Tuesday that the authorities were thinking of arming the civilian district security committees and tightening the curfew in Bujumbura from midnight to 10 p.m. Burundi asks South Africa to play "an active role" in peace process Buyoya has requested South Africa to play "an active role" in ending the Burundi conflict and said he would like to see South Africa facilitating talks between his government and rebel movements, news organisations reported on Monday. "South Africa's experience in achieving a negotiated solution to its own problems could be beneficially applied in Burundi," the 'Business Day' newspaper quoted Buyoya as saying at the weekend at a meeting with his South African counterpart, Thabo Mbeki. Buyoya said he would like to see Mbeki use his influence internationally to make the world see the issue of violence in Burundi in a more realistic way, it added. Buyoya also regretted that after the lifting of the regional embargo on the country, it was incomprehensible that development assistance from the international community had not resumed. "Perhaps some key players in the western world do not understand the realities of Burundi. Mbeki could contribute in this regard by making some of those people in the west understand that denying assistance to Burundi is not the best thing for our peace process," the paper quoted Buyoya as saying. Mbeki says DRC peace must cover Burundi militias Mbeki said during the weekend meetings with Buyoya that the involvement of Burundian militias in DRC conflict would have to be resolved before peace in the Great Lakes region could be secured, South Africa Press Agency reported on Monday. "There are armed groups from Burundi that are involved in that military conflict. The resolution of the Congolese problem will require that that particular matter should also be addressed in the same way that it was agreed that the Interahamwe from Rwanda should also be addressed", SAPA quoted Mbeki as saying. On the Burundi peace process in Arusha, Mbeki said: "It is clear progress is being made to find a solution ... our hope is that agreement can be reached before the end of the year." He said it was important that South Africa increased its contact with all the various forces in Burundi "to encourage them to participate fully, openly and in an honest and frank manner in finding a solution" and that South Africa was keen that "everything should be done to assist the socioeconomic recovery of Burundi." Mbeki also renewed the appointment of Deputy Director-General of Foreign Affairs for Africa, Welili Nhlapo, as his special envoy to Burundi.