5 February 2008
Bujumbura — The facilitator of Burundi's peace process, South African Public Security minister Mr. Charles Nqakula, will meet with the leader of PALIPEHUTU-FNL, Agathon Rwasa, in Dar es Salaam on 5 February 2008.
Mr. Rwasa has already received a formal invitation from Charles Nqakula. This meeting is aimed at analysing and addressing problems in the different peace deals that the government of Burundi and PALIPEHUTU-FNL struck in 2006.
PALIPEHUTU-FNL still considers these peace deals to be void since they lacked a full mandate for their implementation. FNL still seeks talks in order to reach another deal which would provide governmental posts for its leaders in both the army and the civil administration. The government of Burundi will also send delegates to Dar es Salaam. Both sides will also come together to consider the resumption of the activities of the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism which stopped in July 2007 after FNL delegates led by Jean Berchmans Ndayishimiye returned to the bush after being accused of stealing rifles belonging to the South African peace keeping force.
Last Saturday PALIPEHUTU-FNL combatants released four hostages whom they took in late 2007 in the manhunts that followed the derailment of the peace process. The hostages included an officer of the National Intelligence Services whom they held in the Rukoko savannah 20 kilometres from the city of Bujumbura.
Businessman Jean-Marie Rurimirije played a major role in securing the release of the hostages which ceremoniously took place at Rukoko in the presence of the delegates from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Committee, the national army, and the families of the released ones.
The release of the hostages, according to FNL leaders, was meant to serve as a message to the government of Burundi to reciprocate by releasing the many FNL combatants who are still held in custody despite the existence of legal texts granting them immunity from any legal actions. In late January 2008, a delegation led by the chief of the national intelligence services, General Adolphe Nshimirimana, met FNL leaders in Tanzania in order halt the manhunts being carried out by both sides. This gesture has already created a détente before the talks whose success will alleviate the burdens of many Burundians.
The resumption of talks might come as a blow to CNDD-FDD which counted on the region to take punitive actions against PALIPEHUTU-FNL after December 31, 2007. The CNDD-FDD party is afraid to compete in the upcoming elections with another former armed movement which is also anchored in the countryside since the two sides might compete for the same votes.
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