The notion that Yoweri Museveni's Uganda should be included as the so called "REGION LEADERS" charged with the responsibility to explore eavenues to bring about peace in Burundi , is pretty much unacceptable.
That stated Fire will continue in Burundi!!! Matek In a message dated 12/1/02 9:11:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << "The rebels are demanding the withdrawal of a South African protection force from Burundi, but the Burundi government insists they remain. The rebels have also called for government forces to return to their barracks and be disarmed." African leaders meet for Burundi peace talks ARUSHA, Tanzania, Dec 1 (Reuters) - African leaders began a regional summit on Sunday to try to secure a ceasefire in Burundi's nine-year-old civil war. The tiny central African country has lost 300,000 lives to the conflict, and talks between the government and main rebel group have so far failed to reach a deal. South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma, chief mediator in the conflict, said last week that the heads of state attending the summit in Arusha, Tanzania would take "appropriate action" if there was no progress toward a ceasefire. The warring parties held talks last week in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam, but emerged deadlocked on the presence of foreign troops in the country. "The leaders will receive a formal briefing on the status of the talks in Dar es Salaam from South African Vice-President Jacob Zuma," a Tanzanian official said on Sunday. The leaders of South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Burundi are attending Sunday's meeting. The rebels are demanding the withdrawal of a South African protection force from Burundi, but the Burundi government insists they remain. The rebels have also called for government forces to return to their barracks and be disarmed. Zuma has said the roughly 700 South Africans -- deployed to guard members of a transitional government set up last year -- would remain in Burundi for as long as the African Union wished. Burundi's civil war pits rebels from the ethnic Hutu majority against the Tutsi-led army. Fighting has intensified in recent weeks after the warring factions failed to agree on a ceasefire for the duration of the peace talks. >>
