Mandela to visit refugee camps

Meanwhile, the facilitator of the peace process, Nelson Mandela, is due to visit Burundi refugee camps in Kigoma, western Tanzania, on 28 February, the Internews press service reported. His visit will follow a meeting of leaders from the Great Lakes region in Arusha on 26 and 27 February. “We’re busy working out the logistics of Mandela’s trip to these camps,” Judge Mark Bomani of the facilitation team told Internews. This will be Mandela’s first tour of the camps since he took on the mantle of facilitator two years ago.

Mandela is expected in Arusha on 25 February, where he will meet the 19 signatories to the Burundi peace accord. On 26 and 27 February he will brief leaders from the Great Lakes region on the progress made in the peace process. According to Internews, another focus of the summit will be the unresolved issue of the transitional leadership to implement the accord.