Mediators in Burundi's stop-start peace process yesterday handed a draft accord to the government and a leading rebel group from the central African country, hours ahead of a regional summit in Tanzania, officials said.

The mediators from Uganda, South Africa and Tanzania handed the document to the Bujumbura government and the Hutu Forces for the Defence of Democracy (FDD) in Dar es Salaam as five African heads of state prepared to discuss Burundi, where civil war has killed more than 300 000 people since 1993.

The negotiations are part of long drawn-out efforts to implement a ceasefire in the central African state signed last December between the government and the FDD but never respected.

The text submitted yesterday was described as the draft of a final peace accord covering political as well as military issues.

"Each delegation is hard at work in its own corner," Burundi's presidential spokesperson Pancrace Cimpaye told journalists, explaining that the latest text differed from previous drafts in that it took account of government positions.

FDD Secretary-General Hussein Radjabu said his side was analysing the new document, and noted that that it contained proposals made by the FDD during recent talks in Uganda.

"We're optimistic, we're getting somewhere," he said.

The Tanzanian foreign ministry said those scheduled to attend the summit were Presidents Domitien Ndayizeye of Burundi, Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique - current chairperson of the African Union - and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, who heads a regional initiative on Burundi.

All of these leaders except Ndayizeye went into talks yesterday afternoon.

Chief mediator and South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma also took part in this meeting.

After several delays, Ndayizeye was slated to meet FDD leader Pierre Nkrurunziza on Monday for face-to-face talks.

Before leaving Bujumbura, President Ndayizeye said he was ready to make concessions to the rebels but added that the FDD, which is seeking greater participation in the army and government, would have to do the same.

The FDD's current demands include being allocated the post of vice president, 28 cabinet posts, 40% of the seats in parliament, the chief of army staff, half the officer corps and 40% of the troops.

The army is currently dominated by Tutsis, who make up less than 15% of the population, against the Hutus' 85%. – Sapa-AFP.