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Nqakula will remain mediator
25/10/2007 21:17 - (SA)
Pretoria - Deputy foreign affairs minister Aziz Pahad on Thursday rejected concerns voiced by Burundi's last rebel movement that the facilitator in the peace negotiations was one-sided.
"It is a usual Burundi tactic that if you don't get what you want, you blame the facilitator and you call for a new facilitator," Pahad said.
Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula was the facilitator in the peace process.
He said it was clear that the Paliphehutu-FNL was split into two groups - those committed to concluding the peace process and those opposed to it.
"It is this split that has created the withdrawal of the Joint Verification Monitoring Mechanism."
The rebels quit the ceasefire monitoring team in July, sparking fears of renewed violence in Burundi. The team comprised representatives from the FNL, Burundi's government and Nqakula's office.
The FNL has accused Nqakula of being biased and called for his replacement. However, Nqakula has said he would leave only after his mandate finished at the end of the year.
Pahad said it was hoped that the facilitator would convene the leadership and ensure that a regional summit took place. The summit would likely take place the first week of November as the matter was serious and needed to be dealt with, he said.
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