Burundi government will not attend planned peace talks

The government of Burundi has said it will not attend peace talks scheduled to resume in Tanzania on Thursday, although the main opposition alliance has confirmed its participation.

The talks are meant to find an end to a violent political crisis that began in 2015 after President Pierre Nkurunziza said he would seek a third term - a move opponents said violated the constitution and a peace deal that ended an ethnically charged civil war.

Mediator Benjamin Mkapa, a former Tanzanian president, has invited "a group of 33 key figures" comprising on one side the government and its allies, and on the other side, their opponents. 

The talks are scheduled to take place Thursday through Saturday in the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha. 

Mkapa is hoping to finally tackle "substantive issues" at the core of the conflict, notably Nkurunziza's third term, and the "creation of a national unity government", AFP reported, citing an African diplomat. 

"The government of Burundi finds some irregularities in the organisation of this present session," a government statement said on Wednesday.

Spokesman Phillipe Nzobonariba said the government objected to the presence of senior UN adviser Benomar Jamal, but did not elaborate on the reasons for this.

The government has repeatedly accused the UN of bias against it after several human rights groups have said the security forces and ruling party have committed abuses.

The main opposition grouping, CNARED, said it would attend the talks although it has previously accused Mkapa of bias.

Mkapa said in December that Nkurunziza was legitimate and that mediators should focus on setting up elections for 2020.