President urges UN to push rebel group to join talks

Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye urged the UN Security Council on Monday to push Agathon Rwasa's faction of the Parti pour la liberation du peuple hutu-Forces nationales de liberation (Palipehutu-FNL) rebel movement to join peace talks, Radio Burundi reported from UN headquarters in New York, where the 58th session of the UN General Assembly has been convened.

"The Palipehutu-FNL movement has ignored calls to rejoin the peace process," Ndayizeye said. "We explained to the members of the council all the efforts made by the government in this respect. We asked them to support us in earnest and to clearly exert pressure on the movement so that they can rejoin the peace process. We hope they will make efforts as they promised us."

He said talks also focused on political issues related to the peace process.

"We mainly spoke about the ongoing talks between the Burundi government and the CNDD-FDD [Conseil National pour la Defense de la Democratie-Forces pour la defense de la democratie, another rebel movement]," Ndayizeye said. "We pointed out to the council the need for their assistance to help us finalise these negotiations as soon as possible and also to support the Burundi government in its negotiations with the international community - especially donors - so as to promote economic recovery in our country."

Ndayizeye also said he told the council of "the generally positive aspect that characterized these talks" regarding the participation of CNDD-FDD Burundi's transitional government institutions, adding that talks would continue "in the coming days".