13955: Reuters: 2 Die as Gangs Fight in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JD Lemieux <lxhaiti@yahoo.com>

December 3, 2002
2 Die in Fighting by Rivals in Northern Haiti
By REUTERS


ORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Dec. 2 — Two people were slain and
more than 20 houses were burned in a northern city in
weekend fighting between groups loyal to President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide and opponents, residents said today.

The violence, in a slum area of Gonaïves, was the latest
unrest to affect Haiti after several weeks of protests
against Mr. Aristide and counterdemonstrations by his
supporters. The fighting began on Sunday, when gunmen loyal
to Jean Tatoune, an opponent of Mr. Aristide, shot and
killed a member of a pro-Aristide gang, residents said. The
gang retaliated, burning at least 20 houses in the Jubilee
section and shooting a resident, witnesses said.

Mr. Tatoune, an important figure in the overthrow in 1986
of the Duvalier family dictatorship, became a fierce critic
of Mr. Aristide. He was serving a life sentence for his
role in killings of Aristide supporters in 1994 but escaped
in August along with the leader of the rival gang, Amiot
Metayer, as Mr. Metayer's supporters stormed the jail.


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