FDD delegates expected in Pretoria Friday night

The Forces pour la defense de la democratie (FDD) delegates, who have been stranded in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam, are due to arrive in Pretoria, South Africa, on Friday night.

The group's spokesman, Jean-Marie Ngendahayo, told IRIN early on Friday that South Africa had agreed to give the officials travel documents. "But this means we have only one day to discuss with the government delegation," he said. "It is a relief that they will come to Pretoria at last. However, we do not know whether the talks between FDD and the government delegation will still take place or whether we will only meet the United Nations Security Council delegation, which should be arriving in Pretoria this weekend," Ngendahayo said.

The FDD officials were scheduled to have arrived in Pretoria on Monday this week to meet a delegation from the Burundi government to discuss the modalities on cessation of hostilities. The talks were due to end on 30 April, but their plans hit a snag when they failed to get travel documents from the Tanzanian authorities.

The decision to hold this meeting was taken at a previous contact meeting between the FDD delegation and that of the government in February this year. Only two of the FDD delegates managed to be in Pretoria by Monday, and the government delegation declined to meet them since eight FDD delegates had been expected.

An analyst contacted by IRIN on Friday cast doubt on the success of the "one-day" talks between FDD and the government, "if ever it takes place", saying not much could come out of such a meeting.

Meanwhile, Ngendahayo also told IRIN that the group had not received a draft copy of a ceasefire agreement drawn up by UN and South African National Defence Force experts.

"It is absolutely amazing that in the invitation written on 4 April, it was indicated that the draft copy would be sent to us before the meeting. Strangely enough, we have not seen anything like that. We have asked both the South Africans and UN representatives about the document, but we have received no clear response about it," Ngendahayo explained.

Despite the setting up of a transitional government in Burundi in November last year, rebels have stepped up attacks in various parts of the country, resulting in the displacement of thousands. Plans to have talks between the armed rebel groups and the government in order to secure a ceasefire have achieved very little.