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Bujumbura-Burundi.
 
BURUNDI - NEGOTIATIONS.
 
6 POLITICAL PARTIES GIVE THEIR OPINION ON THE ARUSHA DRAFT AGREEMENT.
 
BUJUMBURA, AUGUST 4, 2000 (NET PRESS). THE POLITICAL PARTIES ANADDE (NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE RULE OF LAW AND DEVELOPMENT), INKINZO MSP (SOCIALIST PANAFRICANIST MOVEMENT), PIT (LABOUR INDEPENDENT PARTY), PSD (SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY), RADDES (RALLY FOR THE RULE OF LAW AND SOCIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT) AND UPRONA (UNION FOR NATIONAL PROGRESS) ORGANIZED THIS AUGUST 4, 2000 A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 'MERIDIEN SOURCE DU NIL' HOTEL AND THE PANNEL WAS INCLUDING : MMS. GODEFROID MANIRAKIZA OF PSD, LIBERE BARARUNYERETSE OF UPRONA AND NICEPHORE NDIMURUKUNDO OF PIT. IN HIS KEYNOTE, MR. GODEFROID MANIRAKIZA OF PSD REVISITED THE FUNDAMENTAL STAKES OF THE NEGOTIATIONS NAMELY THE ISSUE OF POWER (INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM, ELECTORAL SYSTEM) AND PHYSICAL SECURITY FOR ALL  ETHNIC GROUPS. AS FOR THE ESSENCE OF THE DRAFT ACCORD, MR. MANIRAKIZA IS OF THE VIEW THAT GLOBALLY SPEAKING, THE DRAFT ACCORD IS NOT BALANCED NAMELY WITH RESPECT TO ISSUES SUCH AS GENOCIDE, POWER, ELECTORAL SYSTEM, SECURITY AND OTHER CLAUSES WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN DISCUSSED OR WHOSE DISCUSSION WAS NOT FINISHED YET (SEE "NET PRESS" SITE "RUGAMBA", RUBRIC "AGORA").
 
MEMBERS OF THE PANNEL THINK THAT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT  IS FAVORING THE G7 (I.E. HUTU-OBEDIENT GROUPS) AND THEY CONCLUDED THAT IT MUST BE REGARDED AS A PROPOSITION LEADING TO A NEW STAGE OF  NEGOTIATIONS AND THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE SIGNING OF A PEACE ACCORD. PRESS PEOPLE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS RELATING TO THAT CONFERENCE AMONG WHICH THE ISSUE OF KNOWING IF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED PARTIES WILL SIGN THE DRAFT ACCORD ON 28 AUGUST, 2000 AND IF THEY WILL BACK UP PRESIDENT BUYOYA'S CANDIDACY TO RULE DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD. THE ANSWER TO THE FIRST QUESTION WAS THAT THERE ARE CLAUSES TO BE REVIEWED AND THAT IF THAT WAS DONE SO, THEY WOULD SIGN IT, TO SAY THAT IT IS NOT A MATTER OF DATES, AND THAT THEY ARE  READY TO SIGN IT EVEN BEFORE AUGUST 28, 2000. THEY ARE READY TO SIGN PROVIDED THOSE CLAUSES ARE MODIFIED. AS FOR THE SECOND QUESTION, MEMBERS OF THE PANNEL HINTED THAT PRESIDENT BUYOYA HAS NEVER GIVEN HIS CANDIDACY. IN THEIR OPINION, THOSE ARE MERE SPECULATIONS SINCE THE ISSUE OF TRANSITION IS NOT OF CONCERN FOR THE TIME BEING. WITH RESPECT TO THE QUESTION OF KNOWING WHY G 7 PROPOSALS HAD BEEN WIDELY REFLECTED IN THE DRAFT ACCORD,  THE PANNEL REPLIED THAT THE FACT THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE BEING HELD IN AN UNFRIENDLY COUNTRY (TANZANIA-SANCTUARY FOR THE ARMED REBELLION) HAS MUCH INFLUENCED THE FACILITATION TEAM WHICH HAS REFLECTED THE ESSENCE OF THAT GROUP PROPOSALS.
 
FINALLY, THE PANNEL DENOUNCED THE OCCULTATION OF GENOCIDE  OF TUTSI PEOPLE IN THAT DRAFT PEACE ACCORD AND THEY BELIEVE THAT IT IS UNACCEPTABLE SINCE EVEN THE UN REPORT NUMBER S/1996/682 AFFIRMS THAT A GENOCIDE HAS TAKEN PLACE IN BURUNDI. THEY DECLARED THAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO EVERY THING POSSIBLE SO AS BOTH THE MEDIATION AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT REALITY. THEY ALSO FINALLY DEPLORED THE FACT THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WAS EXERTING PRESSURE OVER ONLY ONE GROUP, THE BURUNDI GOVERNMENT AND NEVER OVER THE REBELLION.
 
BURUNDI - EDUCATION.
 
BURUNDI UNIVERSITY GRADUATING AND INTERN STUDENTS  HAVE GIVEN STRIKE NOTICE.
 
BUJUMBURA, AUGUST 4, 2000 (NET PRESS). AT THE END OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING HELD YESTERDAY AUGUST 3, 2000 IN THE POLYVALENT HALL OF MUTANGA CAMPUS, GRADUATING STUDENTS OF BURUNDI UNIVERSITY DECIDED TO "SUSPEND ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES" FROM NEXT MONDAY AUGUST 7, 2000  ON. IN THEIR STRIKE NOTICE TO THE CHANCELLOR THIS MORNING, STUDENTS EXPLAINED THAT THEY INTEND TO PROTEST BY THIS WAY AGAINST THE FACT THAT "FUNDS ALLOCATED THEM IN CONNECTION TO TRAINING COURSES AND PREPARATION OF FINAL PAPER ARE GIVEN WITHOUT CONSIDERATION TO THE PREVAILING CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION" AND THAT THE PRESENT POSITION OF THE UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT DOES NOT SATISFY THEIR CLAIMS.
 
IN THAT LETTER, STUDENTS EXPLAINED THAT THEY WILL RESUME ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES "AS SOON AS" ISSUE RAISED IS SOLVED POSITIVELY. THE LETTER WAS SENT OVER THE CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE WHILE THE LATTER WAS AT GITEGA WHERE HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE QUESTIONS RAISED BY GITEGA AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE (ISA - INSTITUT SUPERIEUR D'AGRICULTURE) ON STRIKE SINCE YESTERDAY.
 
BURUNDI - SOCIETY.
 
POPULATIONS OF KARUSI PROVINCE LIVING ALONG SIDE  COMMUNES OF THE RUVUBU  NATURAL PARK ANGRY AT FORESTERS.
 
KARUSI, AUGUST 4, 2000 (NET PRESS). THE POPULATIONS FROM THE COMMUNES OF SHOMBO, MUTUMBA AND NYABIKERE, KARUSI PROVINCE, ARE ACTUALLY DISCONTENT WITH 'INCN' (NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR NATURE CONSERVATION) AGENTS CALLED FORESTERS. DURING SUMMER TIME, THE AGENTS ARE USED TO SET ON FIRE SOME PLACES IN ORDER TO PREPARE GREEN AREA FOR WILD HERBIVOROUS ANIMALS (BUFFALOS, HIPPOS, ZEBRAS, ANTELOPES,...). THEY THEN TAKE MONEY FROM CATTLE KEEPERS WHO BRING THEIR ANIMALS FOR GRAZING. POPULATIONS BLAME THE SAME FORESTERS  FOR BREAKING LAWS BY ALLOWING IN AGAINST SMALL PAYMENT OF MONEY FISHERMEN TO FISH IN  PROHIBITED RUVUBU RIVER. DURING THIS PERIOD OF INSECURITY IN NEIGHBOURING PROVINCES OF RUYIGI AND GITEGA,  KARUSI POPULATIONS NEIGHBOURING RUVUBU RIVER ARE PATROLLING DAY AND NIGHT ALONG THE RIVER. YET, THE NON STOP MOVEMENTS IN THE AREA ARE DESTABILIZING THEM TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY HARDLY CAN IDENTIFY EVENTUAL TERRORISTS-GENOCIDERS. DURING THE RAINY  SEASON,  POPULATIONS AFFIRM THAT THE FOREST WARDENS DO NOT WORK CORRECTLY SINCE THEY ALLOW THE ANIMALS TO GET OUT OF THE PARK KNOWING THAT THEY ARE VERY LIKELY TO DESTROY  CROPS  OR EVEN KILL PEOPLE FROM HOUSES.
 
BURUNDI - SECURITY.
 
CEASING HOSTILITIES MIGHT BE  A PROBLEM BETWEEN LEONARD NYANGOMA OF CNDD AND  JEAN-BOSCO NDAYIKENGURUKIYE OF CNDD-FDD.
 
KIGOMA, AUGUST 4, 2000 (NET PRESS). ACCORDING TO LOCAL SOURCES IN KIGOMA (AND PRECISELY AT MUYOVOZI), NYANGOMA AND NDAYIKENGURUKIYE MEN ARE ONCE AGAIN FACING AT EACH OTHER WITH HOSTILITY. THE STOPPING OF HOSTILITIES MIGHT BE THE MAIN REASON BEHIND THE HOSTILE CLIMATE  BETWEEN THE TWO CHIEFS OF CNDD (NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY) AND CNDD-FDD (FORCES FOR THE DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY). MR. LEONARD NYANGOMA  IS REPORTEDLY IN FAVOUR OF AN IMMEDIATE CEASING OF HOSTILITIES SINCE IN HIS OPINION THE POLITICAL STRUGGLE AT ARUSHA NEGOTIATIONS AND ELSEWHERE CAN NOT BE COMBINED AT ALL WITH VIOLENCE, WHILE JEAN-BOSCO NDAYIKENGURUKIYE WANTS TO CONTINUE THE WAR.
 
IN ADDITION, MR LEONARD NYANGOMA ACCUSES JEAN-BOSCO NDAYIKENGURUKIYE OF HAVING FINANCED THE ASSASSINATION OF HIS YOUNGER BROTHER WITH HIS THREE CHILDREN WHO USED TO BE THE PERSONNAL PHYSICIAN OF THE LATE RWANDAN  PRESIDENT JUVENAL HABYALIMANA.
 
A FEW DAYS AGO, NDAYIKENGURUKIYE'S MEN DECIDED TO LAUNCH A REAL MANHUNT INSIDE  KIGOMA BARUNDI REFUGEE CAMPS AGAINST MEMBERS OF NYANGOMA-LEAD CNDD. SOME OF THE LATTER HAVE BEGUN TO FLEE TO ZIMBABWE, MOZAMBIQUE AND MALAWI FOR REFUGE, WHILE OTHERS MIGHT HAVE BLUNTLY DECIDED TO COME BACK TO THEIR MOTHERLAND. IN SPITE OF ALL, NOT EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT IN THE RANKS OF THAT CNDD-FDD, SINCE SERIOUS PROBLEMS OF REGIONALISM HAVE BEEN REPORTED INSIDE THAT MOVEMENT.  MEMBERS OF THAT MOVEMENT OF TERRORISTS-GENOCIDERS WHO CONTINUE TO SOW DEATH IN BURUNDI ARE REPORTEDLY NOT  TO BE FRIENDLY WITH EACH OTHER DUE TO ONE'S BEING FROM BURURI OR ELSEWHERE.  SOME OBSERVERS, ESPECIALLY TANZANIANS, OUTSPOKENLY PREDICT THE DISLOCATION OF THOSE MOVEMENTS IN A NEAR FUTURE IF ARUSHA NEGOTIATIONS TAKE TIME TO BE CONCLUDED.
 

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