Vice-President assured on ceasefire talks date

Burundian Vice-President Domitien Ndayizeye said on Tuesday that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni had assured him that ceasefire talks with two Hutu rebels groups would take place as scheduled.

"He confirmed 6 August as the date when negotiations should begin and last for about three weeks," Ndayizeye said on state-owned Radio Burundi. "He also confirmed that the heads of state summit would be organised for the first week of September."

Ndayizeye was speaking just hours after returning from a daylong meeting with Museveni in Kampala, the Ugandan capital. They discussed the upcoming ceasefire talks and the continuing Hutu rebel attacks that Burundi says are being launched from Tanzania. Dar es Salaam has consistently denied tolerating any Burundian rebel activity in Tanzania. Ndayizeye visited Tanzania at the weekend for frank talks with the government on the attacks. He said Museveni had promised to consult his subregional colleagues on the matter.

Museveni is leading a subregional effort to end the nine-year war that has intensified since the formation of a transitional power-sharing government of Hutus and Tutsis on 1 November. Yet, Ndayizeye said his government was still willing to seek peace.

"The government of Burundi, as well as the subregion, is ready to negotiate with those who are ready and willing," he said. "Those who are not willing, I believe other actions will be taken to ensure peace is restored to Burundi."