Facilitator still hopes stalled ceasefire talks will succeed

Despite the uncertainty hanging over the Burundi peace process, the talks facilitator, South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma, said on 8 November that he was "pleased with the progress" made so far.

In a communique issued on Friday, a day after the end of the latest round of ceasefire negotiations in the Tanzanian commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, he said agreement had been reached on "a number of substantial issues".

These included implementation of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes, as well as demining and destruction of excess weapons. Among other issues agreed on were reform, the establishment of the new armed forces, selection and training of soldiers and the leadership core, matters concerning prisoners of war, and a mechanism to implement the ceasefire agreement.

Other aspects of the 10 areas agreed on were recognition by the parties of their responsibility to maintain "strict observance [of] and compliance" with the ceasefire agreement, and the delivery of certified lists of combatants, weapons and equipment to the UN Mission.

Zuma said outstanding areas of disagreement largely concerned technical details, which could be resolved. The parties were deadlocked in the political commission - established to discuss the preamble and articles of the hoped for agreement - on the motivations that had led the various groups to take up arms, and on issues relating to the return to constitutional legitimacy.

"On both points the CNDD-FDD [Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Forces pour la defense de la democratie] held the view that until the parties negotiated and reached agreement on these points, they could not proceed to discuss the draft ceasefire agreement," Zuma said.

He added that the CNDD-FDD considered their engagement with Burundi's transitional government on the preamble "as negotiations", while the government regarded it "as discussions".

This last round of negotiations, which started on 20 October, began with technical-level consultations from 21 to 26 October. The negotiations took place against the backdrop of the October Summit of Great Lakes Regional Initiative on Burundi, during which leaders gave the rebel forces of Pierre Nkurunziza, and of the Parti de liberation du peuple hutu-Force nationale de liberation, led by Agathon Rwasa, 30 days to reach a ceasefire deal with the government, or face the consequences.