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Bujumbura-Burundi.
 
BURUNDI - NEGOTIATIONS.
  
THE HEAD OF STATE TO GO TO SOUTH AFRICA EARLIER THIS WEEK.
 
PRETORIA, AUGUST 13, 2000 (NET PRESS). EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE HEAD OF STATE IS GOING TO SOUTH AFRICA WHERE HE WILL MEET THE MEDIATOR  IN THE BURUNDI CONFLICT, FORMER SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA. THE TEAM OF PRESIDENT BUYOYA'S PRECURSORS TRAVELLED TO SOUTH AFRICA ON SATURDAY  AUGUST 12, 2000.  ARUSHA NEGOTIATIONS  HAVE REACHED THE POINT OF SIGNING THE ACCORDS, BUT BARUNDI POLITICIANS ARE STILL RAISING THIS AND THAT POINT TRYING TO ESCAPE THE SIGNING. INITIALLY, THE SIGNING WAS SET FOR JULY 20, 2000 BUT WAS LATER POSTPONED UNTIL  AUGUST 28, 2000. BUT DURING PRESIDENT BUYOYA'S LAST VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA, HE STATED THAT THERE WERE ISSUES YET TO BE RESOLVED  AND WAS PLEASED THAT AUGUST 28, 2000 WAS NOT AN UNCHANGEABLE  DATE AS THE MEDIATOR HIMSELF HAD COME TO REALIZE IT. REPRESENTATIVES OF 6 TUTSI-OBEDIENT POLITICAL PARTIES REPRESENTED BY MRS. LIBERE BARARUNYERETSE OF (NEGOTIATOR  UPRONA), GODEFROID HAKIZIMANA OF (PSD) AND NICEPHORE NDIMURUKUNDO OF PIT  DEPLORED THE FACT THAT THE DRAFT ACCORD WAS NOT A BALANCED ONE SINCE IT WAS MAINLY REFLECTING ONLY PRO-HUTU G7 POSITIONS. THE 6 PRO-TUTSI POLITICAL PARTIES DENOUNCED THE DRAFT ACCORDS OVERSHADOWING OF THE GENOCIDE OF TUTSI PEOPLE. AS FOR THE DATE OF AUGUST 28, 2000, THE 6 ABOVE-MENTIONNED POLITICAL PARTIES HINTED THAT  PROVIDED ISSUES ARE REVIEWED BEFORE THAT DEADLINE, OTHERWISE, THE DATE SHOULD BE POSTPONED.
 
IN A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD AT ARUSHA ON SATURDAY AUGUST 12, 2000, THE  NEWLY-ESTABLISHED G 1O  ( LAST MONDAY 7 AUGUST, 2000) REAFFIRMED THAT SOME TIME IS REQUIRED BEFORE A COMPROMISE IS REACHED ON OUTSTANDING ESSENTIAL ISSUES, NAMELY THOSE RELATING TO THE GENOCIDE OF TUTSI PEOPLE STARTED IN OCTOBER 1993 AND THE "AD HOC" UN REPORT NUMBER S/1996/682, AN ACCEPTABLE ELECTORAL SYSTEM, THE INTERIM TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, DEFENCE AND SECURITY FORCES, THE CEASE-FIRE AND "GUARANTEES THAT DO NOT AIM AT PUTTING THIS COUNTRY BACK IN TRUSTEESHIP". OTHERWISE, "WE SHALL NOT SIGN", WARNED THE G 10 REPRESENTATIVES.
 
BURUNDI - ECONOMY.
 
BURUNDI TO TAKE PART IN KIGALI SUB-REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM.
 
KIGALI, AUGUST 13, 2000 (NET PRESS). FROM AUGUST 26 TO  SEPTEMBER 3, 2000, AN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM WILL BE HELD IN KIGALI (RWANDA) IN WHICH EAST AFRICAN COUNTRIES (INCLUDING UGANDA, KENYA AND TANZANIA) WILL PARTICIPATE. THE TOPIC OF THE FORUM WILL BE "TRADE RELATIONSHIP" BETWEEN COUNTRIES SOON TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE EEC (EASTERN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY).
 
IN BURUNDI BUSINESS CIRCLES, THE MEETING IS BEING ACTIVELY PREPARED AND THEY ARE HOPING THAT IT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF TRADE BETWEEN BURUNDI AND THE GIVEN COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY RWANDA. SO FAR THE TRADE  BETWEEN RWANDA AND BURUNDI, IT IS RATHER "INFORMAL", SINCE MOST OF THE ITEMS TRADED FROM BURUNDI TO RWANDA  ARE CHANNELLED THROUGH  FRAUDULENT NETWORK. THAT IS QUITE TRUE WITH RESPECT TO PALM OIL, SUGAR AND COFFEE. BURUNDI WOULD BENEFIT A LOT IF THAT TRADE WAS FORMALIZED. BESIDES THAT "FORMALIZATION" OF EXISTING TRADE, BARUNDI BUSINESSMEN WISH THAT THE FORUM RESULT IN "MORE FACILITIES IN TRADE TRANSACTIONS" BETWEEN MEMBER COUNTRIES "IN ORDER TO LESSEN CUSTOMS BARRIERS". ALSO, AN INTERNATIONAL FAIR WITH THE SAME TOPIC WILL BE AT THE SAME TIME BE HELD AT KIGALI.
 
BURUNDI - PRESS CONFERENCE.
 
THE SELF-DEFENCE ORGANIZATION "PA- AMASEKANYA" HOLDS A PRESS CONFERENCE.
 
BUJUMBURA, AUGUST 13, 2000 (NET PRESS). THE ASSOCIATION "PA-AMASEKANYA" ORGANIZED A PRESS-CONFERENCE ON SATURDAY 12 AUGUST, 2000 AT  'SOURCE DU NIL' HOTEL. THE TOPIC OF THE PRESS-CONFERENCE "THE SITUATION OF TUTSI PEOPLE'S RESISTANCE AGAINST GENOCIDE IN BURUNDI" WAS TACKLED BY  MR. DIOMEDE RUTAMUCERO, CHAIRMAN OF "PA-AMASEKANYA"  WHO BELIEVES THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TERRORISTS-GENOCIDERS OR WITH TANZANIA GOVERNMENT WHICH SUPPORTS, ARMS AND DEFENDS FRODEBU GENOCIDERS AND THEIR ALLIES POLITICALLY AND DIPLOMATICALLY. "PEACE NEGOTIATIONS MUST BE HELD AMONGST BARUNDI PEOPLE WHO HAVE CLEAN HANDS, BUT NOT ON THE TANZANIAN SOIL", HAMMERED OUT PA-AMASEKANYA'S CHAIRMAN.
 
IN "PA-AMASEKANYA" OPINION, THE NEGOTIATIONS, AS THEY LOOK NOW, ARE AIMING AT DEFENDING THE GENOCIDERS AND EXCLUDING THE SURVIVORS OF THE GENOCIDE SO THAT THE GENOCIDE OF TUTSI PEOPLE MAY BE COMPLETED. MR.  RUTAMUCERO GIVES ARGUMENTS SUBSTANTIATING THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE NOT AIMING AT RESTORING PEACE IN BURUNDI, BUT AT THE EXTERMINATION OF TUTSI AND HUTU PEOPLE WHO DO NOT BACK UP THE PHILOSOPHY OF GENOCIDE. HENCE, THE LATTER MUST MOBILIZE ALL THEIR MEANS IN ORDER TO OPPOSE THE SO-CALLED ACCORDS THAT REPRESENT FOR THEM A PROVOCATION AND A DECLARATION OF WAR, HE SAID.
 
SECONDLY, MR. DIOMEDE RUTAMUCERO FOCUSED ON THE INCUMBENT LEADERSHIP'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEATH, ON A DAILY BASIS, OF CIVILIANS AND MILITARY KILLED BY THE TERRORISTS-GENOCIDERS, SINCE IT HAS DENIED THE POPULATION SELF-DEFENCE, ALLOWED THE GENOCIDERS "FROM 17 TILL 07 O'CLOCK MORNING  TO MOVE FREELY, AND GIVES THEM BOTH MATERIAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORTS , FOR PROTECTING THEMSELVES AGAINST  PROSECUTION, DOES NOT CONDEMN THEM,  DOES NOT SHOW TO THE WHOLE WORLD CRIMES COMMITTED BY THEM AND DOES FIGHT ANTI-GENOCIDE ORGANIZATIONS AND BEHAVES AS FRODEBU-CNDD AND FNL SPOKESMAN, ETC..." THIRDLY, PA-AMASEKANYA CHAIRMAN RAISED THE ISSUE RELATED TO ACTIONS THAT GENOCIDE SURVIVORS SHOULD UNDERTAKE IN ORDER TO WIN THIS WAR AGAINST THE FRODEBU PARTY AND ITS ALLIES. A HUGE CROWD ATTENDED THE PRESS CONFERENCE AND IT CONVEYED ITS INDIGNATION OVER THE INCUMBENT LEADERSHIP'S STRIVING TO BACK UP THE TERRORISTS-TRIBAL-GENOCIDERS OF THE FRODEBU PARTY AND ITS ALLIES.
 
BURUNDI - ARREST.
 
A MAN SUSPECTED OF HAVING PARTICIPATED IN THE GENOCIDE OF TUTSI PEOPLE IN THE PROVINCE OF MUYINGA IS ARRESTED BY POLICE.
 
BUJUMBURA, AUGUST 13, 2000 (NET PRESS). HIS NAME IS MICHEL NTACONAYIGIZE. BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF OCTOBER 1993 GENOCIDE OF TUTSI PEOPLE, HE WAS A TRADER IN MUYINGA PROVINCE WHERE HE WAS BORN, IN THE ZONE OF CUMBA. ACCORDING TO LOCAL SOURCES OF MUYINGA PROVINCE CONTACTED BY "NET PRESS", MR.  NTACONAYIGIZE KILLED ON 21 OCTOBER, 1993 TUTSI PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING ON HIS HILL BEFORE HIS FLEEING TO TANZANIA. AT A PERIOD NOT KNOWN BY THE ABOVE-MENTIONNED SOURCES, MR. MICHEL NTACONAYIGIZE HAS  SECRETLY  COME BACK TO BURUNDI AND LIVED AT "JOHNSON'S", A HUTU-SETTLING CAMP FOR THE DISPLACED, IN BUJUMBURA TOWN, NEAR KAMENGE ZONE. HE HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN SEEN BY A MUYINGA-BORN SURVIVOR OF THE TUTSI PEOPLE GENOCIDE   WHO STRAIGHTAWAY INFORMED HIS MUYINGA FELLOWS. SOON AFTER, INVESTIGATIONS WERE LAUNCHED TO GET NTACONAYIGIZE'S WHEREABOUTS. THEY THEN LEARNED THAT NTACONAYIGIZE WAS  LIVING AT KAMENGE WHERE HE WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN TRADE ACTIVITIES. HE HAS BEEN ARRESTED BY POLICE ON 8 AUGUST, 2000  AT KAMENGE MARKET WHERE HE WAS SELLING GOODS. POLICE WERE CARRYING A WARRANT  BUT  NTACONAYIGIZE'S KAMENGE FELLOWS PROTESTED AGAINST HIS ARREST. BUT THE POLICE DISPLAYED THE WARRANT DELIVERED BY MUYINGA PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S DEPARTMENT. IT TOOK HIM TO THE OFFICE OF KAMENGE ZONE. BUT TO AVOID HIS  RELEASE AT ANY TIME, MUYINGA NATIVES SURVIVORS DEMANDED THAT THE SUSPECT BE DIRECTLY TRANSFERRED TO A POLICE STATION.  HE WAS THEN TAKEN TO BUJUMBURA PSP (PUBLIC SECURITY POLICE) HEADQUARTERS.  ACCORDING TO LATEST NEWS  AVAILABLE TO "NET PRESS", MUYINGA CONSTITUENCY HUTU MPS (MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT) HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO PRESSURE THE PSP TO SET NTACONAYIGIZE FREE WHO IS, IN THEIR MIND, "INNOCENT".
 
BURUNDI - CULTURE.
 
"BURUNDI MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION"(AMB) IS SEEKING TO RESTART ITS ACTIVITIES.
 
BUJUMBURA, AUGUST 13, 2000 (NET PRESS). SHORTLY AFTER THE DISMISSAL OF MR. MAGLOIRE NIBIGIRWE, NICKNAMED BOUDDY, FORMER CHAIRMAN OF 'BURUNDI MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION' (AMB), AND THE ELECTION OF A NEW CHAIRMAN, MR. LEONARD SINZINKAYO, LATER JUNE 200, THE AMB IS  SLOWLY AWAKENING FROM ITS LETHARGY. THUS, IN THE SCOPE OF ITS RELAUNCHING ITS ACTIVITIES, IT WILL ORGANIZE AT THE FRENCH CULTURAL CENTER OF BUJUMBURA ON TUESDAY 15 AUGUST, 2000 AT 16 O'CLOCK, A "REUNION" CONCERT. THE CONCERT PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE THE INTRODUCTION TO THE AUDIENCE OF AMB MEMBERS BEFORE DISPLAYING THEMSELVES. ACCORDING TO AMB NEW-ELECTED CHAIRMAN, MR. LEONARD SINZINKAYO, WHO IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH, SPORTS AND CULTURE STAFF, THERE WILL BE MUSIC VARIETIES AND "A VERY WARM ATMOSPHERE". HE EMPHASIZED THAT RD CONGO-BORN MUSICIANS WILL BE PRESENT. IT MAY BE RECALLED THAT AMB FORMER CHAIRMAN WAS OUSTED DUE TO HIS LACK OF UNDERTAKINGS".
 

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