Rebels of the Forces pour la defence de la democratie (FDD) failed to show up at a meeting between the movement and government representatives, organised by the Burundi peace mediator, Nelson Mandela this week. "This is the fourth time we have travelled to South Africa to meet the rebels, but they do not show up," a government official told IRIN on Thursday. "The president [Pierre Buyoya] was here with us, ready to meet them. It clearly just shows that they do not want peace." He said the group was expected in Cape Town, South Africa last Sunday, "but word came that they were not coming". "They gave no reason for their absence despite the fact that they had initially confirmed their participation to the mediator," he said.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
Share this article