7885: Civil Society leader views "disappointment" of OAS mission (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <maxblanchet@worldnet.att.net>


 1.   Haiti: Civil Society leader views "disappointment" of OAS mission

Haiti: Civil Society leader views "disappointment" of OAS mission
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; May 14, 2001


Text of report by Haitian Metropole radio on 14 May

The Haitian crisis persists. The recent mission of the OAS [Organization of
American States] and Caricom [Caribbean Community] representatives in the
country was not a success. [OAS Assistant Secretary-General Luigi] Einaudi
and [Caricom Assistant Secretary-General] Ramdin did not succeed in
convincing the players in the crisis to facilitate the next mediation of
Cesar Gaviria, OAS secretary-general. The GISC, which met the OAS mission,
is said to be very worried about the persistence of the current impasse.
GISC [Civil Society Initiative Group] members hope to resume the initiative.
Professor Rosny Desroches explains the OAS mission:

[Desroches - recording] In regard to the OAS mission, I would say that it
was a mission where positive communication was established between GISC, the
OAS and Caricom. I believe that a mechanism of communication channels was
also established in that occasion. I can even say that a certain confidence
between that foreign mission and GISC was also established. That is
something extremely positive. However, we think that the mission left with a
feeling of disappointment because they were hoping that something positive
would come out of it to present to the OAS secretary-general, inviting him
to come to consecrate somehow an agreement and allow Haiti to be fully
reintegrated within the democratic nations. Unfortunately, there was no
obvious progress. But I think that it is all a temporary failure and I think
that this should not discourage us.

We should not give up. We, in Haitian society, should redouble our efforts
to obtain that inter-Haitian dialogue and to get to resolve our problems. I
must say honestly that there was a time when I felt humiliated as a Haitian
to see that foreigners are obliged to commute between Trinidad, Washington
and Port-au-Prince, three to six times while we are like minors and children
incapable of resolving our problems. I believe that we should show maturity
and wisdom to assemble all that the country has in terms of expertise and
reason to find a solution to our problems, to our Haitian problems, and of
course with the support of the international community. Therefore, we will
not be discouraged. We will not give up. For this country should not die. If
this country should collapse we will all collapse with it. [End of
recording]

Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 14 May 01

/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.