9483: 200 protest in Haiti over slum attack (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Nov 5 (Reuters) - About 200 protesters marched
in front of Haiti's National Palace on Monday in defense of two brothers
accused by slum residents of causing a gang brawl that resulted in the
deaths of several people and the destruction of hundreds of homes.
     Three days of gang warfare in the crime-infested La Saline slum in
downtown Port-au-Prince culminated on Friday when armed attackers shot at
residents. Homes were looted and firebombed.
     Residents said three people were shot and killed and a fourth died
later in a hospital of bullet wounds. Seventeen others were injured, they
said.
     Since the attacks, police officials have been unavailable for comment
and government officials have not returned calls.
     Residents said the attacks were part of a turf war between gangs. They
said one gang went after brothers Ronald and Franco Camille, who have
allegedly collected protection money for years from merchants in La
Saline's congested open-air markets.
     The protesters, accompanied by one of the brothers, Franco Camille,
marched at the National Palace and the government prosecutor's offices,
denying that the siblings had any involvement in the attack.
     "These acts were committed by others, not Ronald and Franco," one of
the protesters said.
     Ronald Camille -- nicknamed "Cadavre" or "corpse" -- is a former
member of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's security detail. He has an
arrest warrant outstanding in his name in connection with the Sept. 10
killing of a civic organization member.
     Camille, who said the killing was an accident, has publicly invited
police officers to arrest him, but they have not done so.
     On local radio on Monday, La Saline residents insisted the Camille
brothers were to blame for the attacks and urged the government to take
control.
     "Ronald and Franco Camille perpetrated these killings," a resident
told private Radio Metropole. "Now we can't return to La Saline, because we
fear a retaliation of Ronald and Franco Camille. We call President Aristide
to watch the incident in La Saline and ask him and the government to
reestablish order in this area and arrest Ronald Cadavre."