DRC conflict must be settled, Buyoya says

President Pierre Buyoya has said there will not be lasting peace in Burundi unless the DRC conflict is settled, AFP reported. It said he told the Johannesburg ‘Star’ daily that Burundian rebels “control huge tracts of land [in DRC] which has minerals, and this is a source of their wealth”. “These rebels behave like governments and they will never give up their authority,” he added. He also expressed concern over the “free flow of arms” in the Great Lakes region, saying several armies - such as the ex-FAR - “have disappeared with sophisticated weapons”. Buyoya also said the country’s peace process was hampered by the inclusion of parties which had no support nor a political cause, but were aiming for governmental positions. Meanwhile, the peace process mediator Nelson Mandela is to brief US President Bill Clinton on efforts made so far, Reuters said. The two men are due to meet in Washington on 16 May.