No-one will be sidelined, Mandela says

Mandela, meanwhile, has called for resuming the peace talks in February. In an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation he said nobody should be sidelined in the negotiations. "We can't sideline anybody who can create instability in the country, so we must find a way of accommodating them in these discussions - either by inviting them to join or addressing them separately, but you can't ignore them," he said. Mandela added that "in every ethnic group there are those who feel that violence, tension and hatred are not in the best interests of Burundi as a country". Acknowledging there were "a lot of rough times" ahead, Mandela said "we have to use the good and the evil to create harmony and understanding between the parties". The four working commissions began work in Arusha and are expected to continue for 10 days, the Tanzanian daily 'Guardian' reported on Monday.