Rawlings leaves for signing of Burundi peace deal

President Jerry John Rawlings has left Accra for the Tanzanian City of Arusha for the signing of a Burundi peace deal, put together by Former South African President Nelson Mandela.

Over the weekend, President Mandela has been meeting with numerous Burundian delegates to put finishing touches to a 170-page peace accord to end Burundi's civil war to get it ready for signing today. U.S. President Bill Clinton is also expected in Arusha for the signing, along with a host of other heads of state, although several factions of the Tutsi minority that are in power in Burundi are still refusing to agree to the deal. The draft accord is the culmination of two years of discussions between the various warring factions in the seven-year civil war between Burundian Hutu rebels and the minority Tutsi-led government. Delegations from the Burundi government, parliament and 17 political parties are present at the negotiations.

Outstanding issues include the question of who will lead the country during a transitional period and exactly when a ceasefire would come into effect.