18360: Esser: Mitchell to Discuss Opposition Violence in Washington (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. E s s e r <torx@mail.joimail.com>

The Nassau Guardian
Mitchell off to Washington

For talks related to Haiti's security

By MINDELL SMALL

Guardian Staff Reporter

Foreign Affairs Minister, Fred Mitchell is expected to travel to
Washington DC, this week, to meet with American and Canadian
officials and discuss security matters related to the political
unrest prevailing in Haiti; a situation which is said to be now at a
critical point.

Since security matters are taking top priority, Mr. Mitchell said no
CARICOM meeting is being planned with Haiti at this time. CARICOM had
initially hinged subsequent meetings with Haiti's opposition groups
and president Jean-Bertrand Aristide on the outcome of its meeting
last week in Port-au-Prince where Minister Mitchell represented The
Bahamas.

The Washington talks were prompted as a result of a Haitian
opposition group taking control of a northern city in that country
last Thursday. The group, calling itself the "Gonaives Resistance
Front" (GRF), took control of Gonaives, a city 70 miles northwest of
Port-au-Prince, the capital. The city of Gonaives is the fourth
largest in Haiti with a population of approximately 200,000, nearly
the same as the population of New Providence.

In the takeover, reports indicated that at least four opponents of
president Aristide were killed in gun battles with police and 20
people were wounded. It was also reported that the GRF set fire to
the mayor's home, the police station and freed more than 100 inmates
from prison.

The gun battles occurred on the same day Mr. Mitchell left Haiti. Now
new reports indicate that stiff gunfights resumed in Gonaives on
Saturday and Sunday as president Aristide ordered more police in the
city to combat the GRF rebels patrolling the streets. And while
battles were taking place in Gonaives, the GRF was reportedly moving
to a nearby town, attempting to seize it as well. The GRF has vowed
to take control of more cities.

Minister Mitchell said the situation is serious but some
international press reports are giving the impression that the entire
country is spinning out of control, when the violence is centred in
Gonaives.

"Actual facts on the ground, as it's reported to us through our
embassy gives a different picture and we're being told that the
situation [in Gonaives] to some extent is being misrepresented.
Clearly it's a serious development but the government is not
threatened," he said.

He added that there is no broad political support for the GRF and
that they have succeeded in the takeover because they have an ample
supply of weapons, and the residents have cowered to their demands
because of fear. He said Aristide's government is taking measures to
re-establish order in the city but explained that its resources and
capacity to do so may be limited.

He said in contrast, on Saturday in Port-au-Prince there was a huge
march in support of the government where an estimated 50,000 people
turned up on the streets.

"I'm not certain what precipitated it but in Haiti there are marches
and counter marches and I don't think, from the reports we get, that
the opposition has been able to mount anywhere near that number so I
gather that the game is a numbers game in Haiti," he said.

The Guardian contacted a member of "Group of 184" (Platform
Democratique) who also described the situation as "serious."

Some Platform Democratique members have apparently given up hope in
CARICOM and said any further talks with the 15-nation bloc would be
in vain as long as Aristide remains in power. They are convinced that
Aristide is the source of Haiti's political, economic and social
problems and have vowed to plan more demonstrations.

The Platform Democratique members, though angry, have not been as
militant as the GRF and are claiming the government is resorting to
violence against them. A major anti-Aristide demonstration in
Port-au-Prince last week turned violent as police fired teargas at
students to break them up. The death toll from such demonstrations,
since September, now stands at 55; up from 45 just three weeks ago.

President Aristide promised that he would disarm all gangs and
publicly destroy all weapons by a March 15 deadline. He also said
anti-government activists are entitled to due process and that he
would release them from detention if they were found to be held
arbitrarily.

The Haitian leader added that he would give a detailed report of his
government's plan to rid thugs of guns and ammunition and reorganise
the police force so that it would be better able to deal with
security concerns during demonstrations.

The Organisation of American States (OAS), the United States, Canada
and the European Union are continuing to monitor the Gonaives
situation and demonstrations in other parts of the country.

Representatives from the industrialized nations are expected to again
link with CARICOM in an intercessional meeting in Antigua next month.
At that meeting, CARICOM will present a formal report on how it will
proceed with Haiti in the future. Haiti has to abide by all of its
provisions including its Charter of Civil Society and must also
uphold three OAS hemispheric resolutions: 806, 822 and 1959, which
spell out rules that must be followed for the establishment of an
independent Provisional Electoral Council.

Additionally, Haiti must create new rules within five weeks regarding
demonstrations, as the opposition has charged that previous rules
were discriminatory. The new rules must be seen to be fair to both
anti and pro-government protesters; otherwise further doubts would be
cast on the fairness and credibility of Aristide's government, which
promised CARICOM that the new rules would be just.

Posted: Monday February 9, 2004
http://www.thenassauguardian.com/national_local/284212042737744.php