12621: Dominicans fortify border to bar Haitian jail escapees (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Dominicans fortify border to bar Haitian jail escapees

By Ezequiel Abiu Lopez
The Associated Press
Posted August 5 2002

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic · The Dominican army has reinforced its
border with Haiti to keep 159 escaped prisoners from crossing into the
Dominican Republic, officials said Sunday.

On Friday in the northern Haitian town of Gonaives, gunmen crashed a tractor
through a wall of the jail, freeing 159 prisoners. None had been captured by
Sunday.

Jesús María Hernández Cruel, director of Dominican army investigations, told
reporters Sunday that border security was increased between the two
countries, which share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

Dominican authorities will also be searching for migrants attempting to flee
Haiti, which is showing signs of disorder as police fail to find the
escapees.

Since Friday's jailbreak, the Dominican military has stopped hundreds of
Haitians trying to cross the border, migration officials said Sunday, though
the country has long complained of Haitians attempting to enter illegally.

Friday's assault was launched by supporters of detained political activist
Amiot Metayer, who has demanded Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's
resignation.




Copyright © 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel


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