Mandela helped broker Burundi's power-sharing authority

The hero of South Africa's struggle against apartheid was closely involved in the Burundi peace process but has cut his commitments in recent years.

He will go to the home of South Africa's deputy president, where Burundi's president and the leaders of three parties are holding talks.

They are trying to agree a power-sharing deal ahead of elections.

Seats row

Multi-party elections are due in October, to end a three-year transition period brokered by Mr Mandela.

But Burundi's President Domitien Ndayizeye says they cannot be held until former rebel groups disarm.

Many thousands of Burundians have fled a decade of conflict

All but one rebel group has joined a power-sharing government, intended to end 11 years of war.

But the rival political parties cannot agree on how to allocate seats between the majority Hutu groups and minority Tutsis.

The Tutsi Uprona party wants 40% of seats reserved for Tutsis, who make up 14% of the population, fearing that otherwise they will be marginalised.

Hutu groups want the elections held under one-man one-vote.

Some 5,000 United Nations peacekeepers are in Burundi to support the peace process.

Some 300,000 people have been killed since the civil war broke out in 1993.