Mr Ndayizeye's government already includes former rebels

They have started a scheduled two days of negotiations in the Netherlands after a brief meeting on Sunday.

The ethnic Hutu National Liberation Forces (FNL) rebels have so far not joined a peace process in which other rebels have entered a unity government.

Some 300,000 people have died in 10 years of war between Hutu rebels and the Tutsi-dominated government.

Dutch foreign ministry spokeswoman Ivonne van Hees told the AFP news agency that neither side would make any public statements during the talks.

'No U-turn'

Initially the rebels said they would only hold talks with Tutsis, who they say hold the real power and still dominate the army.

Mr Ndayizeye, a Hutu, became president last year under a power-sharing deal brokered by former South African President Nelson Mandela.

Another rebel group, the forces for the defence of democracy (FDD) joined the government last year.

FNL spokesman Pasteur Habimana denied they had backed down.

"We don't at all agree to negotiate with the government. This is about meeting the father of the nation," he said.