2006年VOA标准英语-Negotiations Begin for Burundi Peace Agreement

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
19 June 2006

Leader of Burundian rebel NLF group Agathon Rwasa, right, and Burundi's Minister for the Interior and Public Security Brig. Erneste Ndayishimye, left, sign an agreement in Dar Es Salaam¹, June 18, 2006  
  
The government of Burundi and the country's remaining rebel group signed an agreement to begin negotiations² that would end more than a dozen years of civil war.

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The head of the political party known as CNDD, Leonard Nyangoma, tells VOA that he and the other parties that are represented in Burundi's government are generally pleased with the deal.

On Sunday, the government and the Forces for National Liberation signed an agreement in nearby Tanzania to cease hostilities³ for two weeks, during which time they would negotiate a permanent cease-fire to end 13 years of conflict.

Nyangoma says the signing is a solid, first step to peace.

"It is a good thing. I read it this morning. That is proof that there is a will to commit to negotiations from the two parties," said Nyangoma. "It is a good thing also that the government, which took a long time to accept negotiations with the FNL [Forces for National Liberation], will sign such an agreement.

Burundi's civil war broke out in 1993 after the Tutsi-dominated army assassinated⁴ the country's first democratically elected president, who was a Hutu.

Tutsis make up about 15 percent of Burundi's population, yet until recently they dominated the army and political sphere, a factor that sparked the war that killed about 300,000 people.

A peace process beginning in 2000 culminated⁵ in democratically held elections last year. The peace process called for the various rebel groups fighting in the war to be integrated into the army and government.

The Forces for National Liberation has yet to do so.

The CNDD, which Nyangoma heads, is one of the several political parties that were former rebel groups and are now in the government and army.

He says that, while he is happy that the two sides agreed to negotiate, they failed to spell out the details of how these talks are to take place.

"The agreement is not clear," he noted⁶. "This agreement does not show the agenda. What they will negotiate - nothing. It is empty. There is no methodology of negotiations. Remember that when we started negotiations in Arusha [Tanzania] in 1998, we made an agenda of five points with a methodology."

Nyangoma says that representatives from his and the other parties that make up the government should be included in the upcoming negotiations so as to contribute their experience, know-how⁷, and so that the final peace deal can be accepted by parliament.

1 salaam   

n.额手之礼，问安，敬礼；v.行额手礼

参考例句：

• And the people were so very friendly:full of huge beaming smiles,calling out "hello" and "salaam".这里的人民都很友好，灿然微笑着和我打招呼，说“哈罗”和“萨拉姆”。
• Salaam is a Muslim form of salutation.额手礼是穆斯林的问候方式。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

4 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

5 culminated   

v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers 一场造成两名警察死亡的枪战
• The gala culminated in a firework display. 晚会以大放烟火告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 know-how   

n.知识；技术；诀窍

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the know-how to run a farm.他没有经营农场的专业知识。
• I don't have much know-how about engines.发动机方面的技术知识我知之甚少。