DATE=8/29/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON-BURUNDI (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-265923
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=ARUSHA
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: President Clinton, Monday, attended the
signing of a political accord to end the violence in
war-torn Burundi. V-O-A's Scott Stearns reports on
what the deal means to the strife-ridden country.
TEXT: It is not the deal mediators wanted, but it is
a deal and negotiators here in the Tanzanian town,
Arusha, did get most of the Burundi delegates to sign
it.
The most import thing missing is a cease-fire to stop
fighting between ethnic majority Hutu rebels and a
government army dominated by the minority Tutsi. Some
Tutsi politicians feared making a political deal
without a cease-fire. But, since rebels were not
present at these talks, it was the best mediators
could do to assure Tutsi the rights of the minority
will be protected and a cease fire will follow,
quickly.
In the end, the six parties who did not sign the deal
were Tutsi and the lack of a cease-fire was their
biggest concern. Thirteen parties did sign. After
less than a year of mediation, most regional diplomats
gave former South African President Nelson Mandela
credit for bringing so many groups together.
Mr. Mandela was clearly pleased by the turnout of more
than a dozen African heads at state and the U-S
president to witness the event. But Mr. Mandela was
clearly not pleased by those groups who refused to
sign -- condemning them as insensitive to civilian
deaths and the amount of money the international
communities invested in keeping the peace process
going.
Those groups which did sign agreed to a formula for
sharing power in a new transitional national assembly,
the senate and a national army. They agreed on the
formation of a truth commission to investigate past
ethnic violence and gave themselves the right to amend
the plan with the vote of nine-tenths of the
delegates. None of the plan will come into effect
until there is a cease-fire.
There were intense negotiations in Arusha down to the
last hour, with some indications that Burundi's
military government, itself, might refuse to sign.
President Pierre Buyoya did sign, despite pressure
from hard-line Tutsis opposed to any deals with Hutus
because they fear revenge attacks against years Tutsi
domination.
President Buyoya surely took some comfort in the most
important Tutsi parties agreeing to sign. The Tutsi
parties who did not sign the deal held out the
possibility that they might sign in the future. U-S
officials tried to down play the divisions here,
saying the deal as it now stands is an invitation not
only to those who did not sign, but also to the rebels
who have never been a former part of these talks to
the join the process toward peace.
Mr. Mandela's mediators want to name a leader of a
transitional government for Burundi within the next 30
days, as well as establish the framework for more
direct talks on the cease-fire between rebels and the
army.
Some Tutsis and the army have the same concerns as
Tutsi politicians that sharing power with the Hutus
will ultimately lead to killing and a monopolization
of power by the majority.
If mediators can get a cease-fire to follow up this
deal, the plan will be an important step forward. If
they cannot and the violence continues, the plan is
meaningless. (Signed)
NEB/SS/TVM-T/WD
29-Aug-2000 00:23 AM LOC (29-Aug-2000 0423 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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