4 October 2002
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
The President of the Republic of Burundi, Pierre Buyoya will be in South Africa on a working visit from Friday, 4th October - Saturday, 5th October 2002.
President Buyoya will be accompanied by Burundi's Ministers of External Relations and Co-operation and Transport, Post and Telecommunications.
Deputy President Zuma will meet President Buyoya on Friday, 4th October 2002 to discuss the peace process in Burundi. This follows Deputy President Zuma's consultations with the Palipehutu-FNL on Thursday, 3rd October 2002.
The visit to South Africa by President Buyoya comes ahead of the Summit on Burundi to be held by the Heads of State of the Great Lakes region on Monday, 7th October 2002, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, at which the peace process in the region will be discussed.
The South African delegation to this Summit will include President Thabo Mbeki, Deputy President Jacob Zuma, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and the Minister of Intelligence, Lindiwe Sisulu. =
Deputy President Zuma will present a report to the Summit on ceasefire negotiations between the Transitional Government of Burundi and the Palipehutu-Forces for National Liberation (Palipehutu FNL) and National Council for the Defence of Democracy-Forces for the Defence of Democracy respectively.
President Buyoya will also meet with former president Nelson Mandela while in South Africa.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
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