(In Feb 11 story, correcting title of Charles Nqakula to South African mediator from FNL official, and clarifying reference in paragraph 4 to show location of three rebels is unclear)

BUJUMBURA, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Burundi freed six rebels from custody on Sunday, hoping to drive forward peace talks with the tiny central African country's last Hutu guerrilla group.

The Forces for National Liberation (FNL) agreed a peace deal with the government in September but has since refused to join a ceasefire monitoring team, instead demanding immunity for its members and insisting some of its fighters be freed from jail. Burundi's parliament granted FNL fighters provisional immunity in November, and on Sunday five men and one woman were were released in the presence of South African mediators.

"They will be under the protection of African Union peacekeepers," said South African mediator Charles Nqakula, adding there would be talks about three more captured rebels, whose location was unclear.

"We will discuss with the government the issue of the three who are not here. But we should now move things forward in terms of implementing the ceasefire agreement."

The FNL is the last holdout from a 12-year civil war that killed more than 300,000 people. Their persistent insurgency is seen as a final barrier to lasting peace in a country of 7 million people who have suffered years of ethnic violence.

Three of those released will serve on the monitoring team, which is due to begin work later this month, the rebels say.

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