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by Emmanuel Giroud and Anthony Morland NAIROBI (AFP) - Mediators and heads of state failed to obtain a ceasefire between Burundi's opposition and army Wednesday and warned of action if fighting did not stop, as three small political parties added their names to a framework peace accord.
"Regrettably, despite [mediators'] concerted efforts, the parties concerned have been unable to conclude a ceasefire agreement" according to an official statement released here after a regional summit on the peace process for Burundi. A peace accord was signed last month in Arusha, Tanzania by most of the political parties involved in seven years of fighting between the Tutsi-led army and government and Hutu opposition, which has led to the deaths of more than 200,000 people, mostly civilians. The two main opposition groups did not sign the agreement, which did not contain provisions for a ceasefire and fighting in Burundi has since intensified. Wednesday's summit, attended by presidents Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya, Pierre Buyoya of Burundi, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, called for an "immediate suspension of hostilities pending the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement" within 30 days, the communiqué said. The heads of state said they "reserved the right to take such action or initiative as may be necessary in conjunction with the United Nations and international community in general to put an end to the cycle of hostilities" in Burundi, the statement said. The opposition, however, said more talks were needed before a ceasefire could be signed. "I didn't come here to sign a ceasefire. Peace talks have to start with political issues and so far we were excluded from them," Cossan Kabura, the head of the National Liberation Forces, one of the two main opposition groups, told a news conference later Wednesday. Kabura said he would give chief mediator Nelson Mandela an answer to the heads of state's ultimatum "within a very short time." Museveni told the summit, "Now the rebels are not cooperating. They are the ones creating new obstacles" to ending a war of "incredible bestiality." Ugandan troops are fighting on the opposite side to Burundian opposition in the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. During the same meeting, three small Tutsi-led political parties added their names to last month's peace accord. This text was signed here - with reservations - by the Independent Workers' Party (PIT), the Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development (RADDES) and the National Alliance for Law and Economic Development (ANADDES). RADDES representative Joseph Nzeyimana said the Arusha accord should deal with a wave of killings that broke out after the assassination of the first Hutu president in October 1993, which he described as "genocide" and "issues of amnesty and impunity". "There should be a permanent ethnic balance within the defense and security forces. This will ensure the survival of the [Tutsi] minority in Burundi," he added. Tutsis make up about 14% of the population and Hutus about 85%. The Arusha accord provides for an army with a 50-50 split, but some of the opposition have said they want the composition of the army to reflect the population split. Nzeyimana said that if the armed opposition "refuse to accept a cessation of hostilities and a ceasefire, the heads of state of the region should condemn them unreservedly and treat them as criminals." Heads of state here also called for the unresolved issue of who will lead a transitional regime in Burundi to be dealt with at talks between the accord's signatories next week in Arusha. The two main oppostion groups refused to hold direct talks with the government on Wednesday but did however send delegates to the meeting. During the summit, Moi noted that "the Burundi peace process has come a long way" thanks largely to Mandela, and described the new signatures as "encouraging". "The people of Burundi yearn for peace. You owe this to them. A return to peace, stability and security for all would bring an end to their suffering, making it possible for them to focus on the reconstruction and development of their country," said the Kenyan president. |
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