Former peace monitors, who claim they helped to disarm militants during the ethnic unrest, are threatening to take their SBD$14 million dollar claim to court if government is not willing to negotiate with them.
The peace monitors worked under the former Peace Monitoring Council and later, the National Peace Council from 2000 to 2003.Spokesman for the former peace monitors, Cecil Dei Evo told SIBC they want government to recognise them for doing dangerous work by negotiating with armed militants to surrender their arms.
He says government Caucus has rejected their submission for government to pay $50,000 dollars to each of the 278 former peace monitors.
The amount could cost government nearly $14 million dollars.
A letter from government Caucus to the group which was shown to SIBC says government has not budgeted for the claim.
It says the peace monitors were paid for the job, during a relatively peaceful time, and therefore the claim is rejected.
But Mr Evo says they will take the claim to the Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace.
He says if the Ministry does not want to negotiate with them, then they will take the claim to court.