Mandela, Buyoya hold Burundi peace talks

ARUSHA, Tanzania (AP) -- Former South African President Nelson Mandela expressed optimism Sunday as talks to end Burundi's seven-year civil war focused on the most difficult issues that have so far foiled a comprehensive peace agreement.

Mandela angrily dismissed speculation that Burundian leaders are not ready to suspend hostilities and pick a leader to oversee a transitional administration that would govern till elections are held in three years.

"Let us not be pessimistic ... why should there be no agreement?" Mandela asked reporters soon after landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport. "We have made such progress already."

TIME LINE Key Events in Burundi History

Mandela then drove to the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha, where the talks have been taking place for more than two years, to meet with Burundian President Pierre Buyoya.

Buyoya was hastily summoned to Tanzania on Sunday to discuss "something important which would offer confidence and stability in Burundi," Mandela said.

"I am confident that we are making progress and we are going to reach a political settlement ... I don't see any stumbling block in finalizing the peace process," he said.

Burundi's civil war began October 1993, when Tutsi paratroopers assassinated Melchior Ndadaye, first democratically elected president and a Hutu, triggering the Hutu rebellion. More than 200,000 people have been killed, mostly civilians caught in the cross fire. Hundreds of thousands others have been displaced.

During August and September, Mandela worked to broker a deal between President Pierre Buyoya's government, the army, seven Hutu political parties and 10 Tutsi parties.

However, who will lead the transitional government and when a cease-fire will take hold have remained unresolved.

The accord contains no provision for a cease-fire, and Hutu rebels have refused to endorse it until their demands -- including release of political prisoners and renegotiating the political deal -- are met.

Fighting in the tiny central African country has only intensified since the power-sharing deal was reached.

Mandela said Burundi's two rebel groups, who so far have boycotted the talks, may be ready to take part in the peace process.

Leaders of the 19 Burundian groups held intense negotiations Sunday in Arusha to beat the November 29 deadline to find a consensus leader of the country's transition to democracy and clear the agreement for ratification by Burundi's parliament.

"Parliamentary approval of the deal is essential for the Paris Conference meeting of donors who are to discuss funding implementation of the peace deal," Aldo Ajello, representative of the European Union told The Associated Press.

Under Burundi's power-sharing plan, signatories agreed to an army and legislature ethnically balanced between majority Hutus and minority Tutsis.

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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