Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Burundi is on the verge of realising peace that has eluded the Great Lakes country since October 1993.

The Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement is expected to be signed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 7 September.

South Africa's Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula, who is the facilitator of the Regional Initiative for Peace in Burundi has expressed confidence in this regard.

Mr Nqakula arrived in Dar es Salaam on Monday to facilitate the signing of the peace deal between the government of Burundi and the rebel group Palipehutu-FNL.

He addressed a meeting of technical experts, including members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), the South African Intelligence Services, the South African Embassy personnel and representatives from the Tanzanian and Ugandan governments.

"Minister Nqakula expressed confidence that both the government and the Palipehutu-FNL were committed to the peace process," said South Africa's department of foreign affairs.

The comprehensive ceasefire agreement seeks to strengthen the Agreement of Principles Towards Lasting Peace, Security and Stability, signed by the two parties on 18 June.

In that agreement the parties made a number of commitments including to address the ethnic question, which has broadly been identified as one of the main contentious issues that sparked the conflict.

They also agreed to provisional immunity for members of the Palipehutu-FNL and its transformation into a political party; the repatriation of refugees and return of displaced and regrouped persons as well as the overhaul of the defence and security forces.

To this end, the Comprehensive Ceasefire Agreement is expected to halt all hostilities, armed or otherwise including malicious public statements from both sides.

It is also expected to unveil a programme for the repatriation of the Palipehutu-FNL leadership in the Great Lakes region and in the Diaspora, including their protection while in transit and static protection in Burundi as well as to disarm Palipehutu-FNL combatants and their transportation to United Nations (UN) supervised cantonment areas.

The event for the signing of the historic agreement will be attended by the co-sponsors of the Burundi peace initiative, including President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania.

Also expected to attend is United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Anan as well as Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Alpha Konare.