South African Deputy President Zuma met earlier on Tuesday with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the chair of the Great Lakes Regional Initiative on Burundi, in Kampala Uganda, where discussions focused particularly on the renewed violence in Burundi.
According to a statement from Zuma’s office, the two leaders condemned the sporadic violence in Bujumbura and re-affirmed the commitment of the region to ensuring that the peace process in Burundi was not affected adversely by the violence. They called on the belligerents, especially the signatories of the ceasefire agreements, to respect the transitional arrangements and work towards urgent implementation of the agreements. They also urged Agathon Rwasa’s Palipehutu-FNL to refrain from violence and join the peace process without further delay.
Zuma and Museveni also announced that a special meeting on Burundi will be held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on July 20, where the way forward will be discussed, with a view to returning the security situation to normal, and ensuring a more conducive climate for the implementation of the ceasefire agreements. Talks will also encompass the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement of 2000, on which the current transitional phase is based.
That meeting will include President Museveni, chair of the regional initiative on Burundi, President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, who is the deputy chair, and Deputy President Zuma as facilitator, as well as the belligerents in the conflict.
Zuma later on Tuesday will depart Kampala for Rwanda ahead of his meeting with President Paul Kagame on July 16. – I-Net Bridge