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Rebel group to boycott Mandela talks

    NAIROBI

    The leader of the main Hutu rebel group CNDD-FDD (Conseil national pour la défense de la democratie-Forces pour la défense de la democratie (FDD) Colonel Jean-Bosco Ndayikenurukiye said he would continue to boycott the Arusha peace talks, despite the appointment of former South African president Nelson Mandela as mediator. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Monday quoted him as saying his group had evidence that the Mandela administration had helped the current government in Burundi with
    arms sales, despite a regional embargo. Ndayikengurukiye said he wanted direct talks with the government and the army instead of the planned 18-month peace process. He warned of looming disaster in government 'regroupment' camps, which he described as "Nazi-style concentration camps", and said the CNDD-FDD would not consider a ceasefire until they were dismantled.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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