Pretoria — The Joint Verification Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) will meet on Saturday to find a way of getting the Burundi peace process back on course.

The meeting will mainly focus on the establishment of assembly areas for about 1 500 members of the rebel group Palipehutu-FNL who have abandoned their positions.

Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, who is the facilitator of the process, told reporters on Monday that the JVMM would meet to discuss primarily issues around the recent split within the rebel group that resulted in the abandonment of positions by some members.

Mr Nqakula explained that thus far about 1 500 members of the FNL had abandoned their positions and were seeking shelter, food and medical assistance for some.

The defected members, he said might also require protection from possible attacks by those who were still with the FNL.

The FNL is a rebel movement that had stayed out of negotiations that resulted in the process of achieving democracy in Burundi.

They continued to fight despite the adoption of a constitution that led to the election of the current government of President Pierre Nkurunziza.

The group signed a ceasefire agreement with the government in September last year but later reneged on the agreement.

The minister also explained that if required to, peace-keeping forces already deployed in Burundi will have to provide protection for those defecting rebels.

"The protection of the [former rebels] is the responsibility of the facilitation through the African Union [AU] forces. These are South African National Defence Force [SANDF] members who are deployed under the auspices of the AU," he explained.

Saturday's meeting will also seek to resume the implementation of the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) between the Burundi government and the rebel group Palipehutu-FNL.

The implementation of the CFA will result in the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process of Palipehutu-FNL combatants.

The comprehensive ceasefire agreement seeks to strengthen the Agreement of Principles Towards Lasting Peace, Security and Stability, signed by the two parties on 18 June 2006.

In that agreement the parties made a number of commitments, including addressing ethnicity issues, which have broadly been blamed for conflicts in the Great Lakes country.

They also agreed to provisional immunity for members of the Palipehutu-FNL and its transformation into a political party; the repatriation of refugees and return of displaced and regrouped persons; as well as the overhaul of defence and security forces.

As a result of abandonment of positions by some FNL members, Mr Nqakula on Friday convened an urgent meeting of the Regional Technical Committee.

It is made up of representatives from Uganda, whose President chairs the Regional Initiative; Tanzania, the President of which is the Deputy Chairperson, and South Africa, the facilitating country.

The meeting then received an instruction from Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to immediately create assembly areas for the armed combatants as they left Palipehutu-FNL positions.

The facilitator has also invited the Palipehutu-FNL to the meeting in Bujumbura

Mr Nqakula told reporters that he has received reports that the Palipehutu-FNL was "keen" on rejoining the peace process.