BURUNDI: PEACE AGREEMENT UPDATE

Описание: (26 Aug 2000) French/Nat
XFA
Burundi's president has left for Arusha, Tanzania where he is expected to sign parts of a peace agreement mediated by Nelson Mandela.

Fighting - which broke out in Burundi seven years ago after the Tutsi army assassinated the first ever elected president - has killed over 200 - thousand people mostly civilians.

As in neighbouring Rwanda the Tutsis hold power despite representing less than 20 percent of the population.

And as the Monday deadline for reaching at least a partial peace accord approaches, tension has mounted with a series of Hutu rebel attacks on the Tutsi-dominated army.

Burundi's President, Pierre Buyoya, headed off to Arusha in neighbouring Tanzania on Saturday where he is expected to sign a peace agreement on Monday.

Before leaving, Buyoya emphasised again that he will only sign certain parts of the peace proposal that is on the table.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"The government wants to arrive at a reasonable and balanced peace agreement based on compromises. On the points where we will have real compromises we will put peace in a new document and sign it"
SUPER CAPTION: Pierre Buyoya, President of Burundi

Burundi's current troubles date back to 1993 when Burundi held its first, and so far, only democratic elections since independence in 1961.

After decades of domination by the Tutsi minority, Burundians chose their first Hutu head of state, Melchior Ndadaye, and a parliament dominated by the mainly Hutu Frodebu party.

But within months, President Ndadaye was assassinated by army paratroopers, and the scene was set for years of often violent confrontation between the Hutu and Tutsi political classes.

Mediator Nelson Mandela has set Monday as the deadline for 19 Burundian political parties and interest groups to sign the power-sharing agreement.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Even more encouraging has been the indications from Western leaders of their willingness to actively assist in the rebuilding and development of the Burundi economy once a peace agreement has been reached."
SUPER CAPTION: Nelson Mandela, Former South African President

But differences between Hutu and Tutsi parties remain on key issues, including when a cease-fire should be signed and who should lead the three-year transitional government
proposed in the pact.

And away from the talks the violence continues.

On Wednesday, Tutsi hard-liners were blamed for the burning down of this market where Hutus shop, in a grenade attack that killed four people and injured more than 50.

The war in the hills around the capital Bujumbura is still claiming lives on a daily basis.
Hardline Tutsi militias are dismayed over any possible peace agreement signed with Hutu rebels which they fear this would open the door for a new Tutsi genocide.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"Until today they (Hutu rebels) still kill people everywhere. For them this peace agreement is a stage to get whitewashed from genocidal crimes and to continue in the future to exterminate the Tutsis. Therefore we cannot accept this agreement"
SUPER CAPTION: Andrew Dunduri, Tutsi militiaman

But it's not just Tutsis, who account for around 15 percent of the population, that are targetted.

In the suburb of Kamenge there are destroyed houses from the Tutsi military outbreak of violence in 1994.

The destruction shows that people from both ethnic divides are victims of killing and destruction over the last few years in this tiny central Africa republic.

SOUNDBITE: (Kirundi)
"We hope to have peace now, we hope Burundi will find peace again"


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