Rebel spokesman reiterates “conditions” for Arusha participation

The spokesman for the rebel FDD, Jerome Ndiho, told the BBC’s Kinyarwanda service on Wednesday that his group had only sent an “envoy” - rather than a representative - to this week’s talks in Johannesburg with the facilitator of the Arusha peace process for Burundi, Nelson Mandela. Ndiho said the envoy had gone to Johannesburg merely to inform Mandela of the reasons behind the FDD’s refusal to send a representative. During the two days of talks, Mandela met separately with representatives of the Burundian government, army and rebel groups.

He said on Tuesday that the next plenary meeting under the Arusha peace process would take place in July, when the Burundian rebel leaders and the government were expected to meet face-to-face for the first time, news agencies reported. Meanwhile, Ndiho told the independent Hirondelle news agency that the FDD had decided not to participate in the Johannesburg meetings because it viewed them as “an extension of Arusha,” and that it would not go to Arusha until the government closed down regroupment camps and freed all political prisoners.

“We know that Mandela is making considerable efforts to get the conditions fulfilled,” Ndiho was quoted as saying.