Rebel leader says he’s still in control

Rebel leader Cossan Kabura has claimed he is still in charge of the PALIPEHUTU-FNL movement, the Hirondelle news agency reported. In a letter to the facilitator of the Burundi peace process, Nelson Mandela, Kabura said that Agathon Rwasa, the “former commander” of the movement’s western forces, had attempted a coup against him but had failed, and “disciplinary measures” had been taken against him, along with two other senior FNL members - Alain Mugabarabona and Anicet Ntawuhiganayo. Hirondelle recalled that the three had recently “sacked” Kabura as PALIPEHUTU-FNL leader, accusing him of conducting peace negotiations “without a mandate”. A member of the facilitation team, Teza Mafa, told Hirondelle that the movement had effectively split into factions and both sides would be contacted “independently and separately” with regard to future negotiations. “These are two new rebel groups with the same name, and the fact that they all have troops in Burundi must be underlined,” he said. On 28 March, a delegation of Rwasa’s PALIPEHUTU-FNL went to South Africa for talks with Vice-President Jacob Zuma who is trying to coordinate talks with the rebel movements. According to Hirondelle, the delegation pledged its readiness to meet the Burundi government “to discuss various conditions before joining the peace talks”. PALIPEHUTU-FNL’s conditions are similar to those of the other rebel group CNDD-FDD: dismantling the displaced people’s camps and releasing political prisoners in Burundi. However, Kabura told Mandela that Rwasa’s faction “does not have the mandate to negotiate for PALIPEHUTU-FNL”. Meanwhile, the Libreville process initiated by DRC President Laurent-Desire Kabila shortly before his assassination in January, is due to resume on 17 April, Hirondelle said. Burundian President Pierre Buyoya will hold a second direct meeting with CNDD-FDD leader Jean-Bosco Ndayikengurukiye.