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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

BURUNDI: Zuma cautions rebels on more fighting

NAIROBI, 18 July 2003 (IRIN) - At the end of a brief visit to Burundi on Thursday, South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma said that a summit planned for Sunday in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam would examine how to best to punish perpetrators of violence in the country.

Zuma, the facilitator of the country's peace process, told news agencies that he held talks with Burundi President Domitien Ndayizeye and other senior government and military officials during his three-hour visit to the country.

He said what emerged from the meeting was that all participants wanted an end to the fighting and that, if this was not achieved, measures would be taken against rebel movements perpetrating the violence.

Zuma said the officials promised to give negotiations a priority during Sunday's summit.

Radio Public Africaine quoted Zuma as saying that the Burundian officials were determined to ensure that the Forces nationales de liberation (FNL) rebel faction led by Agathon Rwasa took part in the negotiations.

However, Zuma said Sunday's summit was only for the transitional government and the largest rebel group in the country, the Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Forces pour la defense de la democratie led by Pierre Nkurunziza. Another meeting to bring on board the FNL would be convened soon, he said.

FNL staged a series of attacks in the southern suburbs of the capital, Bujumbura, from 7 to 13 July, which the army has said resulted in the deaths of 310 rebels and 15 government soldiers.

The fighting displaced thousands of civilians, and the UN began withdrawing non-essential staff from the city on Tuesday. The civilian death toll has not been verified.

The radio quoted Zuma as saying that South Africa preferred a pro-active approach in ensuring stability in Africa, hence his country's involvement in the peace process in Burundi.

Regarding the African Union's force in Burundi, Zuma said that the government was willing to accept a strengthened mandate for the South African-led African Mission in Burundi (AMIB) already in the country.

Reuters news agency reported that Zuma said Sunday's summit would discuss the option of sending a regional force to stop the violence. The agency added that the EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, had said the EU was studying the possibility of financing some units of such a force.

"The political and military authorities have the same view, that given what is happening you might need to look at the mandate of the African Mission," Reuters quoted Zuma as saying.

AMIB's mandate is to secure cantonment areas for rebel fighters and to demobilise the insurgents so they can be integrated into a new national army. It is not mandated to intervene in the conflict.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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