Burundi : Fighting intensifies, peace talks fail

Heavy fighting has been raging near the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, as five African presidents met in neighbouring Tanzania in an effort to revive the stalled peace process.

More than thirty people were reportedly killed in a suburb Kinama that had been overrun by a Hutu rebel group opposed to the peace process.

Latest reports say the fighting has intensified, with troops from the Tutsi-dominated army attempting to dislodge the Hutu rebels.

Meanwhile, peace talks in the Tanzanian town of Arusha -- chaired by the former South African president, Nelson Mandela -- have ended without progress.

A statement by the mediators expressed disappointment that the Burundian parties had again failed to agree on a transitional leader in a multi-ethnic power sharing arrangement. Mr Mandela is reported to have threatened to resign as mediator in frustration over the lack of progress.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service