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                                                              Bujumbura-Burundi.
 

BURUNDI - PEACE PROCESS.
NELSON MANDELA INVITES THE ACCORD-CADRE TO JOIN IN THE ARUSHA PEACE PROCESS "REPATRIETED IN BURUNDI".

JOHANNESBOURG, JULY 14, 2000 (NET PRESS). THE BURUNDI CONFLICT MEDIATOR AND FORMER SOUTH-AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA RECEIVED FOR 3 HOURS MEMBERS OF THE 'ACCORD-CADRE FOR THE RESTORATION OF RULE OF LAW IN BURUNDI'. THE MEDIATOR STARTED BY A BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE STATUS OF THE ONGOING ARUSHA NEGOTIATIONS AND ENDED BY SAYING THAT "WITH OR WITHOUT THE SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT ON JULY 20 , THE PEACE PROCESS WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO BURUNDI FROM NOW ON" . HE ADDED THAT "IF ANY PEACE AGREEMENT IS TO BE SIGNED , BURUNDI PEOPLE WILL BE INVITED TO ACCEPT OR REJECT IT". HE CONCLUDED HIS SPEECH INVITING THE 'ACCORD-CADRE' TO JOIN IN THE PEACE PROCESS TRANSFERRED TO BURUNDI FROM NOW ON.

THE 'ACCORD-CADRE' MEMBERS EXPOSED TO THE MEDIATOR THE OBJECT OF THEIR VISIT WHICH WAS TO EXPLAIN THEIR PEACE PLAN. THEY MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEIRS WAS NOT AS SOME PEOPLE PUT IT A CONVERGING VIEW TO THE ARUSHA PEACE PROCESS. THEY STRESSED THEIR OPPOSITION TO ARUSHA PEACE PROCESS WHICH DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE TUTSI GENOCIDE AND TENDS TO FAVOR AMNESTY INSTEAD. THE 'ACCORD-CADRE' ASKED THE MEDIATOR TO ASSIST THEM IN FIGHTING AGAINST "A MAJOR OBCTACLE TO PEACE", I.E THE IDEOLOGY AND THE PRACTICE OF TUTSI GENOCIDE IN BURUNDI.

PARTICIPANTS HANDED TO THE MEDIATOR THEIR CONSTITUANT LEGAL DOCUMENT AND THEREAFTER A LONG AND CANDIDE DISCUSSION FOLLOWED. THE MEDIATOR PROMISED ANOTHER MEETING IN THE FUTURE PARTICULARLY WHEN HE NEXT VISITS BURUNDI. THE BURUNDI DELEGATION HAD CONTACTS WITH THE LOCAL PRESS AND OTHER PERSONALITIES INTERESTED IN THE BURUNDI PROBLEM. (SEE FULL COMMUNIQUE IN "RUGAMBA" WEB SITE OF NET PRESS, RUBRIQUE, "AGORA").

BURUNDI - SECURITY.

TERRORIST- GENOCIDERS STILL COMMITTING ATROCITIES IN PROVINCE OF RUYIGI.

RUYIGI, JULY 14, 2000 (NET PRESS). THIS MORNING BETWEEN 7. 30 AND 8 O'CLOK, TERRORISTS-GENOCIDERS AMBUSHED A VEHICLE BELONGING TO THE 'DPAE' (THE GENERAL AGRICULTURE OFFICE ) RUYIGI PROVENCE ON THE NATIONAL ROAD No 13 AT ABOUT 3 KM ON THE ROAD TO GITEGA. PASSENGERS ON BOARD WERE HEADING TO BUJUMBURA TO ATTEND A SEMINAR ON "NATIONAL STRATEGIES ON GROWTH AND REDUCTION OF POVERTY " SUPPOSED TO BE OPENED TODAY AT THE KIGOBE PALACE OF CONGRESS. THE VEHICLE WAS SHOT AT MURIZA ZONE, BUTAGANZWA COMMUNE. AMONG THE VICTIMS WERE MR LOUIS BIBONIMANA , AN ENGINEER AND SENIOR STAFF OF 'DPAE', WHO HAD RECENTLY BEEN MARRIED (JUNE 10). TWO OTHER PEOPLE WERE WOUNDED AND ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL AMONG THEM A TECHNICIAN WORKING FOR 'ISABU' (BURUNDI INSTITUTE OF AGRONOMIC SCIENCES). OTHER TWO PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE. SOURCES FROM THE AREA BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A RESULT OF A MASSIVE INFILTRATION REPORTED YESTERDAY AND COMING IN FROM TANZANIA .

BURUNDI - ECONOMY.

PETROL DEALERS ON STRIKE THIS MONDAY JULY 17, 2000.

BUJUMBURA, JULY 14 , 2000 (NET PRESS). RELIABLE SOURCES REPORTED TO US THIS AFTER NOON THAT PETROL DEALERS ARE PREPARING FOR A ONE DAY STRIKE THIS MONDAY 17, 2000 BY KEEPING PETROL STATIONS CLOSED. ACCORDING TO THE SOURCES , THE STRIKE INTENDS TO SHOW DEALERS' DISCONTENT IN THE PRESENT LOW PRICE LEVEL OF FUEL WHEN THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF HARD CURRENCY, ACCORDING TO THE PETROLEUM DEALERS' CIRCLES. EARLIER, PETROL PRICES HAD BEEN INCREASED BUT NOT TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE DEALERS. MANY PETROL STATIONS HAVE BEEN SELLING AT IRREGULAR INTERVALS IN EXPECTATION OF A FURTHER PRICE INCREASE. FROM THE PETROLEUM CIRCLES, AUTHORITIES HAVE TAKEN TOO MUCH TIME TO DECIDE. NONETHELESS, CIVIL SERVANTS ARE WORRIED GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEIR SALARIES ARE NOT TO BE LIKEWISE INCREASED.

BURUNDI - POLITICAL PARTIES.

THE 'MSP INKINZO' DENOUNCES "THE LACK OF RECONCILIATION MOOD IN THE ARUSHA NEGOTIATIONS".

BUJUMBURA, JULY 14, 2000 (NET PRESS). IN THEIR JULY 11 LETTER TO THE BURUNDI MEDIATOR , INKINZO PARTY IS DISMAYED TO SEE THAT MASSACRES OF PEOPLE ARE CARRIED ON AS NORMAL DESPITE THE FACT THAT BURUNDI PEOPLE HAVE ALL THE SAME ACCEPTED TO NEGOTIATE WITH A "REBELLION " WHICH FEARLESSLY CONTINUES THE LOOTING AND BURNING DOWN OF HOUSES . AS THE "GREATEST REBEL" AGAINST THE APARTHEID, MANDELA SHOULD NOT LISTEN TO A REBELLION THAT KEEPS THE COUNTRY MOURNING.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE PARTY DENOUNCES THE ABSENCE OF RECONCILIATION MOOD IN THE ARUSHA NEGOTIATIONS. WHILE INKINZO AND ITS ALLIES ARE LOOKING FOR RECONCILIATION, INKINZO IS SAD TO SEE THAT CNDD (CREATED IN 1994), CONTINUES TO COMMIT ATROCITIES AND TO THE SURPRISE OF ALL , IS ENCOURAGED TO DO SO BY THE ATTITUDE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND THE MEDIATION INSTEAD OF CONDEMNING IT, AND INKINZO TO CONTINUE IN THEIR CORRESPONDANCE, OF THE LAST 2 YEARS OF NEGOTIATIONS, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY THE MEDIATION TO OUTCRY SUCH CRIMES AND GIVE BETTER CHANCE TO RECONCILIATION. THE INKINZO PARTY FINDS IT "PARTICULARY SHOKING, SORROWFUL AND SHAMEFUL FOR THE NEGOTIATORS TO PUT FORWARD THEIR OWN INTEREST OF SHARING POSITIONS RATHER THAN PUTTING AN END TO MASSACRES. THE PARTY WARNS THE MEDIATION AND THE NEGOTIATORS OF THEIR "ENTIRE RESPONSIBILITY AS OF PEOPLE KILLED IN THE COUNTRY SINCE THE BEGINNING OF NEGOTIATIONS".

LASTLY, THE INKINZO PARTY COMES BACK TO THE INTERNATIONAL INQUIRER REPORT No S/1996/682 THAT CONFIRMS THAT GENOCIDE HAS BEEN COMMITTED IN BURUNDI. THEREFORE, CONTINUES THE INKINZO PARTY, THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GIVEN REPORT AS WELL AS THE CEASE-FIRE AND PROHIBITION TO RECRUITE YOUNGSTERS IN THE RANK OF REBELS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRE-CONDITIONS TO THE NEGOTIATIONS.

BURUNDI - ECONOMY.

PALM OIL PRODUCTION FALLS WHILE HIS PRICE SHOOTS UP BY THREE TIMES.

RUMONGE, JULY 14, 2000 (NET PRESS). THIS YEAR, PALM OIL PRODUCTION HAS CONSIDERABLY FALLEN. THE DECREASE IS MAINLY DUE TO VARIOUS FACTORS ACCORDING TO MR JOSEPH HABONIMANA, THE RUMONGE PALM OIL REFINERY DIRECTOR. THE MAIN FACTOR BEEING THE CLIMATE CHANGE AS WELL AS A POOR FIELD MAINTENANCE. AS FAR AS 1993 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CRISIS , SOME OF THE FIELD PLANTATIONS WERE HERED TO FARMERS. EVER SINCE, NO FERTILIZERS WERE APPLIED AND FARMERS DO NOT TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE PLANTATIONS AS THEIR OWN. PALM TREES ARE IN SUCH CONDITIONS THAT PRODUCTION HAS BEEN FORCED TO DECLINE.

THE ABOVE HAS CREATED A SHORTAGE ON THE MARKET AND CONSQUENTLY A HIGH PRICE INCREASE. THIS YEAR PRICE OF BARREL HAS GONE UP FROM 50,000 BIF TO 150,000 BIF. NEVERTHELESS, SAID THE DIRECTOR , APPROPRIATE ACTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO INSURE A BETTER PRODUCTION NEXT YEAR. ALL PALM TREES WILL BE GIVEN NECESSARY CARE, FERTILIZER WILL BE APPLIED AS NECESSARY, AND HARVERST APPROPRIATELY ORGANIZED TO MINIMIZE THEFT.
IF CLIMATE CONDITIONS IMPROVE SAID MR HABONIMANA, THE SITUATION COULD END UP IN FAVOR OF CONSUMMERS OF THIS PRIMARY PRODUCT.

BURUNDI - MEDIA.

No 007 OF THE PAPER "LA LUMIERE" IS SECRETLY MAKING BETTER MONEY.

BUJUMBURA, JULY 14, 2000 (NET PRESS). SINCE TREE DAYS, THE No 007 OF THE WEEKLY PAPER "LA LUMIERE" (THE FRODEBU INSTRUMENT OF EXPRESSION) IS SECRETLY SELLING DESPITE THE SENSORSHIP BY THE PRESIDENTIAL POLICE CALLED "LA DOCUMENTATION". THE LATER HAD ASKED 'LA LUMIERE' TO TAKE OUT TREE OF ITS PUBLISHED ARTICLES. THE NATIONAL PRESS COUNCIL HAD SUGGESTED TO MEDIATE AND PROPOSED TO TAKE OUT ONLY ONE ARTICLE. TO THIS , HONORABLE PANCRACE CIMPAYE HAD ACCEPTED TO REMOVE THE ONLY ONE REPORTING THE WILL OF THE LATE COLONEL NTAKO 5 DAYS BEFORE HE DIED IN MUYINGA PRISON .

IN LIGHT OF THE DIFFICULTIES TO GET THE PAPER PRINTED, HONORABLE CIMPAYE DECIDED TO GIVE UP PRINTING AND RESORTED TO THE PHOTOCOPYING OF THE MOCK-UP WITHOUT MAKING ANY CHANGE TO THE ORIGINAL. SINCE TREE DAYS HOWEVER, THE PAPER IS HIGHLY SELLING UNDERGROUND. ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTOR, THE PRICE VARIES BETWEEN 1000 BIF AND 5000 BIF. THE PRICE IS NEGOTIABLE. WITHIN 3 DAYS ALL THE 300 FIRST COPIES WERE ALL SOLD OUT. HE EXPECTS TO MAKE MORE COPIES AS DEMAND IS INCREASING. "SOMETIMES MISFORTUNE BRINGS FORTUNE" SAID THE DIRECTOR .