Atmosphere at peace talks “good”

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the Thursday meeting between President Buyoya and Zuma, was described as “good” by Buyoya’s spokesman, Appolinaire Gahungu. “Today [Thursday] there was a meeting between the president of the republic of Burundi and South African vice-president, Jacob Zuma who, as you may be aware, is charged with mediating between rebel groups and the government delegation. Right now experts are meeting,” Burundi radio quoted Gahungu as saying. The meeting took place in Pretoria, South Africa. He said Buyoya had not met with rebel CNDD-FDD leader [Jean-Bosco Ndayikengurukiye] because their meeting was not scheduled for Thursday.

“I take this opportunity to deny information which may already be circulating in Bujumbura according to which the CNDD-FDD rebel leader refused to meet President Buyoya on the first day,” he explained. “The meeting had not been planned only the meeting between the Burundi president and the South African vice-president, Jacob Zuma, was scheduled,” Gahungu said. He said that the absence of the Burundi peace mediator, Nelson Mandela, would not “diminish the meeting in anyway”.