Former S. African President Announces Breakthrough in Burundi Peace Talks

Former South African President Nelson Mandela, chief mediator in the Burundi peace talks, announced on Tuesday night that a breakthrough has been achieved in Burundi's peace process.

A transitional government will be set up under the leadership of Burundian Tutsi President Pierre Buyoya for the first 18 months, Mandela said in Pretoria after 12 hours of talks with 19 Burundian political parties.

Hutu leader Domitien Ndayizeye will serve as deputy president during this period, Mandela said, adding: "This is a fixed decision."

He said that the decision on the transitional roles of Buyoya and Ndayizeye was made at a meeting of African heads of state in Lusaka on Sunday.

There is nothing tentative about this resolution, the former president added.

"They have firmly decided that President Buyoya should lead the first 18 months and that the vice-president will be Domitien Ndayizeye," Mandela said.

Mandela at the weekend announced that rival political groups have agreed on the composition of a transitional government ahead of a ceasefire.

In terms of the accord, the presidency of Burundi will be split during a three-year transition period that will be divided into two equal phases of 18 months each.

During the first period, a Tutsi will serve as president with a Hutu as his deputy and the positions will be reversed in the second phase.

A peace deal signed in Arusha, Tanzania in August last year has been bogged down mainly due to a disagreement over who will lead the Burundian transitional government.

On Tuesday, Mandela said that there is no set time frame for the introduction of the transitional government. adding that the parties involved will begin thrashing out such details at a summit in Arusha in northern Tanzania on July 23.

Buyoya has already agreed to a list of conditions attached to his appointment, Mandela said.

According to Burundian Judge Mark Bomani, the conditions include:

-- All provisions of the Arusha peace agreement will be put into effect;

-- Allowing representatives of all the signatory parties in the transitional government;

-- Inviting the international community and the region to provide troops and peacekeepers who will go to Burundi to beef up the security and offer protection to the various political leaders, especially those returning from exile;

-- Carrying out the reforms of the army, and the integration of the armed groups and the Hutus into the army of Burundi as expeditiously as possible;

-- Cooperating fully with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on the return of the refugees to Burundi and the resettlement of internally displaced persons;

-- Offering full protection to all political leaders, especially those returning from exile;

-- Refraining from engaging in any acts of victimization of political opponents;

-- Releasing all political prisoners on the recommendations of an ad hoc commission which will be looking into the question of political prisoners;

-- Cooperating fully with the implementation monitoring committee established under the Arusha agreement; and

-- Promptly vacating office at the end of the 18 months, counted from the date of assumption of office.

Bomani said that Mandela will submit the resolutions of the July 23 summit, along with the commitments made by Buyoya, to the Security Council of the United Nations for its endorsement.






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