DATE=1/20/2000
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=MANDELA / BURUNDI
NUMBER=5-45276
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=NAIROBI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Nelson Mandela focused international attention
on Burundi with a speech at the United Nations
Wednesday. The former South African President is the
new mediator in efforts to end ethnic violence in the
Central African country. As V-O-A's Scott Stearns
reports, Mr. Mandela believes those talks must now
include all armed groups.
TEXT: When regional leaders asked him to take over
the Burundi talks, Mr. Mandela says they told him the
only way to end ethnic violence would be by bringing
fighters to the same table with politicians.
/// FIRST MANDELA ACT ///
There is one thing which heads of state in this
region have emphasized: that this process must
be all inclusive. It must include the 18
political parties that are negotiating and the
armed groups on the ground.
/// END ACT ///
Ethnic majority Hutu rebels are fighting a military
government led by the minority Tutsi. Mr. Mandela
says without the rebels, there is nothing these talks
can do to bring peace.
/// SECOND MANDELA ACT ///
Although the 18 political parties may agree,
there is no guarantee that the armed groups on
the ground will obey what the 18 political
parties decide.
/// END ACT ///
Burundi's military government is already talking with
rebels on the side. Ambroise Niyonsaba is the
government's chief negotiator for the talks in
Tanzania. He says Mr. Mandela's decision to invite
the rebels is the right way forward.
/// FIRST NIYONSABA ACT ///
I think the main thing to do is to include all
the armed groups. This is the main change to be
done.
/// END ACT ///
Regional diplomats say Mr. Mandela's first step will
be convincing rebel groups already in the talks not to
block the inclusion of their rivals. The people doing
most of the fighting around the capital are a splinter
faction of the group known as C-N-D-D. Their
inclusion would detract from C-N-D-D representatives
at the talks now.
Leonce Ndarubagiye is the group's spokesman. He says
C-N-D-D reserves its right to approve the addition of
any new members to the talks.
/// FIRST NDARUBAGIYE ACT ///
We would like the rules, the general rules of
the negotiation, to be adhered to, and there is
no place for any other groups accept if those 18
parties agree.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Ndarubagiye says including more groups in the
process will only make it more divisive.
/// SECOND NDARUBAGIYE ACT ///
Probably you would suggest that we continue to
split and eventually you will advise that they
come 20, 30, 50s.
/// END ACT ///
/// OPT ///
It will not be enough for Mr. Mandela to invite more
people to the talks unless they are the right people.
In Burundi, it is often hard to know who represents
the various rebel groups. Government negotiator
Niyonsaba says his efforts with the rebels have made
little progress, largely because they speak with so
many voices.
/// SECOND NIYONSABA ACT ///
The progress was not sufficient to say that
there has been some progress. The problem is
that we were not sure of meeting the right
people. This movement has a leadership somehow
which is not so clear. So this was a problem.
/// END ACT ///
/// END OPT ///
Mr. Mandela says Burundian leaders must put the past
behind them, and find the good will to broaden talks
across ethnic lines. That has not been the case so
far, and in his first appearance as Burundi's new
mediator, Mr. Mandela scolded delegates for their
inflexibility.
/// THIRD MANDELA ACT ///
Are you measuring up to the expectations? Do you
have the will, the determination to speak to
your opponents amongst yourself and say, "Look,
let's remember. We are not Hutu. We are not
Tutsi. We are not Twa. We are Burundians. We are
human beings. If you scratch my skin and if you
scratch your skin, same blood will flow."
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Mandela says he will reconvene Burundi peace talks
next month and wants to see a new sense of urgency in
the process. He said the "daily slaughter of men,
women, and children" is an indictment of everyone
involved, everyone who has failed to stop the violence
that has killed more than 200-thousand in the last six
years. (Signed)
NEB/SS/GE/KL
20-Jan-2000 07:40 AM EDT (20-Jan-2000 1240 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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