Exiled Hutu leader ready to return home

A leading exiled Hutu politician, Jean Minani, has said over Gabon's Africa No 1 radio that he is ready to return home before the full establishment of a special protection unit for him and his colleagues. However, several others have insisted that the force be set up before they can return to the war-racked nation. Minani, who is exiled in Tanzania, is leader of the exiled wing of the pro-Hutu Frodebu party that is among the G7 Hutu parties insisting on a 10,000-member protection unit before its politicians return home. However, Minani said he would be reassured and return if at least two foreign battalions - normally comprising 800 members each - of the unit were formed before 1 November. The G7 has told the Implementation Monitoring Committee of the Arusha peace accord that these members should be drawn from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa. These countries have not given any public commitment to undertake the mission.