DATE=8/26/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON / BURUNDI (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-265877
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ARUSHA, TANZANIA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Former South African President Nelson Mandela
says he's confident he can resolve remaining
differences in the Burundi peace process before
Monday. That's when U-S President Bill Clinton is due
to arrive in east Africa, to support Burundi peace
talks taking place in the Tanzanian town of Arusha.
V-O-A's Scott Stearns is there.
TEXT: Mr. Mandela says he's positive there will be a
breakthrough in these talks in the next forty-eight
hours. Arriving in Arusha Saturday, he told
reporters, "I don't see any problems at all. I think
we're going to sign."
Mr. Mandela has certainly assembled an impressive
audience to witness the signing -- 12 African heads of
state and a news conference with the U-S president.
The only question left is what they're going to sign.
There's no cease-fire in Burundi. Violence around
the capital is on the rise as ethnic majority Hutu
rebels battle an army dominated by the minority Tutsi.
Mr. Mandela's plan has no agreement on fundamental
issues such as ethnic power-sharing and a new
military, who gets to lead a transitional government,
or what sort of authority conducts new elections.
There's such division on so many key issues it's hard
to imagine even a draft peace plan that the 19 groups
here could agree on. Mr. Mandela's team thought they
had a deal that would at least be a start, but that
plan has run into trouble with hard-line Tutsi and
Hutu.
Minority Tutsi parties who once said they backed the
deal now say they want it renegotiated and will not
sign Monday as expected.
The ceremony will also be without Burundi's main rebel
group. While Mr. Mandela did succeed in bringing them
into the process, the Front for the Defense of
Democracy says it will not sign any deal until the
government releases 11-thousand rebel supporters.
Hutu political parties still appear willing to sign,
but they have little power or influence over the
rebels.
Burundi's military president, Pierre Buyoya, has been
asking for a postponement of the signing. He's under
pressure from hard-line Tutsi who fear any power-
sharing with Hutu will lead to revenge attacks against
years of domination by the Tutsi minority.
So tenuous is his position, President Buyoya warned
Tutsi leaders this week not to try and overthrow him
while he's signing the peace deal.
As shaky as this process sounds, the Mandela team is
confident they'll have some sort of deal to sign
Monday. The former South African leader says he'll
then move the whole peace process to Burundi's
capital, Bujumbura. (Signed)
NEB/SS/ALW/JP
26-Aug-2000 10:09 AM LOC (26-Aug-2000 1409 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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