New round of Arusha peace talks underway

The Arusha peace process kicked off again on Monday under the new
mediation of former South African president Nelson Mandela. Addressing the opening session, Mandela pointed out there were only enough funds for this current round and the sides should approach the talks with a sense of urgency. He proposed issues for inclusion in Tuesday's plenary meeting such as the need to dismantle the regroupment camps, power-sharing, and the transition period. Several parties to the talks have expressed a wish that this round - which Mandela said may last up to two weeks - should culminate in a draft peace accord to serve as a basis for subsequent talks.

Sources attending the talks told IRIN that the main rebel groups CNDD-FDD and PALIPEHUTU-FNL had not arrived. The CNDD-FDD representatives reportedly failed to meet Mandela in South Africa for prior consultations, apparently for "logistical" reasons. The US envoy to the Great Lakes region, Howard Wolpe, told IRIN his country believed groups fighting on the ground should take part in the peace process "but they should first
consult the facilitator, president Mandela, so that the arrangements are worked out". Mandela has stressed that the talks should be all-inclusive, contrary to his predecessor former Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere.

Speaking ahead of Monday's meeting, Mandela described the absence of the two rebel groups as a serious drawback.

A spokesman for PALIPEHUTU-FNL, Augustin Ntawogeza, told IRIN that the group was prepared to meet Mandela's mediation team for preparatory discussions. Afterwards, they could take part in the Arusha process, he said. He stressed it was the first time they had officially been invited to peace talks, and they were ready to participate, but there had been a problem with travel papers which first had to be resolved.

Diplomatic sources however told IRIN there were high expectations for the new mediation. All 18 negotiating sides are present in Arusha along with regional heads of state such as Rwandan President Pasteur Bizimungu, Burundian President Pierre Buyoya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania. The French and US presidents will reportedly address
the meeting by television link.

The EU envoy to the Great Lakes, Aldo Ajello, told Burundi radio a western-style democracy could not be imposed on Burundi, which should find its own mechanisms for setting up a democracy. He said the fear of genocide by the minority Tutsis was real. "Someone might perhaps use that fear to grab power and remain in power, but the fear of genocide is there,
it is real," he said. "These people must therefore be given some
guarantees."