Mandela wants SA police for Burundi

South Africa may send police to Burundi to protect returning Hutu leaders as they integrate into a transitional government with Tutsi rivals, AFP reported on Wednesday, quoting Nelson Mandela, the former South African president. Mandela, who recently brokered a deal to end Burundi's eight-year civil war, said about 700 South African police officers would head for the central African nation soon so preparations can begin for the inauguration of the transitional government on 1 November.

"The critical issue is that these (Hutu) leaders should return immediately," Mandela told reporters. "The South African government has been kind enough to provide some policemen who will provide safety and security for these leaders." The South African government has not yet confirmed it is sending police, but said on Monday it was considering Mandela's request.

Once the transitional government in Burundi is up and running and a cease-fire in place between Hutu rebels and the mainly Tutsi army, peacekeeping troops from Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal are set to move into the country. On a visit to European Union (EU) headquarters, Mandela succeeded in raising EU financial support for a police force.

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt told the former South African president that Belgium would provide US $5 million to finance a peacekeeping force and would ask the rest of the EU to contribute a further US $17 million. Mandela said his talks in Brussels would help make a success of the peace deal to end fighting between rebels from Burundi's Hutu majority and the mainly Tutsi government. More than 200,000 people have been killed over eight years.