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President Thabo Mbeki and Deputy President
Jacob Zuma to Attend Regional Summit on Burundi, Dar-es-Salaam,
Tanzania Monday, 15 September 2003
President Thabo Mbeki will attend the Regional Heads
of State Summit on Burundi in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
on Monday, 15th September 2003.
Heads of State of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa; Uganda,
Yoweri Museveni; Rwanda, Paul Kagame; Burundi, Domitien
Ndayizeye; and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph
Kabila, are also expected to attend the Summit.
Deputy President Jacob Zuma who arrived in Tanzania
today - Sunday, 14 September 2003 - will present a report
on developments in the peace process to the Heads of
State in his capacity as facilitator of the peace process.
In addition, issues on the agenda include:
· The complete deployment of African Mission
in Burundi;
· An agreement on power sharing;
· The implementation of the Cease-fire Agreements
including the implementation of the demobilisation,
disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration programme;
and
· The transformation of the armed forces.
Major challenges still facing the country remain the:
· Need to address the inadequate budgeting support
and the non-release of funds pledged to the peace process
during the Paris and Geneva donor conferences since
these funds are essential to the successful implementation
of priorities and objectives for the region;
· Socio-economic development and reconstruction
of the country; and
· Involvement of the churches and civil society,
especially the rural people in the peace process.
For further information contact
· Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853
· Bheki Khumalo on 083 256 9133
· David Hlabane on 082 561 9428
Issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
14 September 2003
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