Mbeki helps heal Burundi rift

2005-05-09 13:41

Pretoria - Burundi's interim president and a former rebel leader have resolved a dispute that was threatening the peace process following 12 hours of talks here with President Thabo Mbeki and his deputy, a South African official said on Monday.

Mbeki and deputy president Jacob Zuma opened talks on Sunday evening with President Domitien Ndayizeye and former rebel leader Pierre Nkurunziza, leader of the Forces for the Defence of Democracy (FDD), at Mbeki's residence in Pretoria.

"President Ndayizeye and Nkurunzia came to Pretoria to deal with these issues which have now been resolved," said Zanele Mngadi, an aide to Zuma.

The talks were aimed mainly at resolving a dispute between Ndayizeye and Nkurunziza over the appointment of the interior minister.

The FDD is part of a power-sharing government in Burundi but its three ministers have stopped taking part in meetings for the past three weeks.

Burundi is to hold presidential and legislative elections by August 19 under provisions of the 2000 Arusha accord that put the country on a course towards peace after 12 years of civil war that have claimed more than 300 000 lives.

- AFP