Peace deal on 20 July “very unlikely”, rebels say

The rebel Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Forces de defense pour la democratie (CNDD-FDD) has said it will attend the next round of peace talks in Arusha, Tanzania, on 19 July. However, spokesman Jerome Ndiho told IRIN on Wednesday it was “very unlikely” his group would sign a peace accord on 20 July as announced by the mediator Nelson Mandela on Monday. “Our two conditions for attending the talks [dismantling the regroupment camps and release of political prisoners] have not been fully met, but to show good will, we are going to Arusha,” he said. “However, people must not ask too much of us.” Ndiho said Mandela’s announcement showed he was “succumbing to pressure”, but he did not elaborate. This will be the first time the FDD takes part in the peace process, and Ndiho said it was too quick to begin talks on 19 July and expect to sign a peace accord the next day. “We cannot sign an agreement we have not yet seen,” he added.

Burundi analyst Jan van Eck of the South Africa-based Centre for Conflict Resolution told IRIN recently it was difficult to envisage an “implementable” peace deal emerging soon. He said the rebels could not be expected just to sign an accord after having been excluded from the peace process for the past two years. “It is like telling them, ‘You weren’t part of it, but just sign’,” he said.