Meeting on transitional government makes progress, Mandela says

Nelson Mandela, the chief mediator of the Burundi peace talks, said on Monday that leaders of the Great Lakes countries had agreed to "a number of issues" that had been hindering implementation of the Burundi peace agreement, Radio Tanzania reported. The radio did not say what was agreed, and diplomatic sources said no communiqué was issued. Yet, media organisations reported that Monday's talks by the five leaders had collapsed. Diplomats in Arusha told IRIN that details had not yet been worked out on one of the two main items on the agenda: the special protection force for the institutions of the transitional government and for the protection of returning political exiles. Agreement has already been reached that the force, whose strength has not yet been determined, would comprise 50 percent Hutu and an equal number of Tutsi personnel. "It takes time to select and train the personnel," the diplomat, who claimed anonymity, said. If that cannot be done by 1 November, the diplomat added, the African leaders will have to decide on taking interim measures, an issue they are likely to consider at their next summit scheduled for 11 October in South Africa. Burundi President Pierre Buyoya said one of these arrangements could be for the countries that agreed to help set up the protection force to provide the service until the Burundi unit is operational. These are Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa. Monday's meeting was also convened to discuss a cease-fire and to get a progress report on what has and has not been done before the transitional government is installed. "Everyone is still aiming for 1 November," the diplomat said. The summit was attended by the presidents of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. South Africa sent Deputy President Jacob Zuma while Ghana and Nigeria sent their defence ministers. Other invited leaders who did not attend were those of Gabon, the Democratic Republic Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Senegal and Zambia.