Regional leaders agree to speed talks process

Countries directly involved in Burundi peace negotiations have accepted to streamline talks between the transitional government and the main rebel group, the Conseil National pour la Defense de la Democratie-Forces pour la defense democratie (CNDD-FDD), President Domitien Ndayizeye told reporters upon his return to the capital, Bujumbura, on Thursday.

Following a regional tour, he said he had agreed with the heads of state of South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania on a new format for future talks, whereby the parties would meet face-to-face; rather than the former system, where parties would meet separately with negotiators, who would then convey the outcome of those talks with the other parties.

"We agreed to revise the methodology in order to accelerate talks, we agreed that important decisions should be taken by regional heads of states in order to improve some aspects of talks," he said. "With the three heads of state, we found it necessary to bring closer different points of views in order to reach to a rapid conclusion."

Ndayizeye said the decision to change the format was not taken because the old system had failed, but rather because "we realised that time was wasting".

"For instance, during talks, the government does not discuss directly with FDD, but experts have to meet separately with each party," he said. "Each side presents its suggestions, and nobody knows what the other thinks about his suggestion and there is no direct interchange - this wastes time and prevents conclusions being reached."

Ndayizeye said that consultations among himself and the three heads of state - namely, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa - would continue in an effort to fine-tune talks methodology and to explain the same to talks participants.