18417: Esser: UN fears humanitarian crisis in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

http://www.Independent.co.uk
UN fears humanitarian crisis in Haiti as pro-Aristide forces retake three towns

By Andrew Gumbel

11 February 2004

Supporters of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti's embattled President,
retook control of three towns attacked by rebel fighters yesterday
and set up flaming barricades on the outskirts of several others in
an effort to quell the five-day-old armed rebellion, which has
claimed more than 40 lives.

Efforts by the pro-Aristide forces appeared to have some qualified
success as they retook the burnt-out police station in St Marc,
fought off gunmen in the northern city of Dondon and reasserted
control in Grand-Goave.

Fears of a looming civil war were also allayed by a coalition of
opposition political parties, who chose to distance themselves from
the uprising and deplore the violence. Mischa Gaillard, the spokesman
for the Democratic Platform group, said: "We do not recognise
ourselves in the armed insurrection but in the peaceful struggle of
the people for democracy."

But the situation remained volatile, with widespread reports of gun
battles, shootings and politically-motivated arson attacks. In
Cap-Haitien, the country's second largest city on the north coast,
gunfire crackled through the night, assailants threw rocks at passing
vehicles and there were reports that pro-Aristide militants had
gutted a restaurant belonging to a noted local critic of the
President.

Barricades in several Haitian cities were preventing food deliveries
by the United Nations World Food Programme and other crucial supplies
from getting through, and UN officials warned yesterday that a
protracted struggle could trigger a humanitarian crisis.

Calls for peace have come from the US State Department, but there are
widespread fears that the rebels can easily outgun Mr Aristide's
poorly equipped 5,000-strong police force.

The uprising began on Thursday in Gonaives. Mr Aristide is accused of
exerting ever more dictatorial control over the country following the
flawed 2000 election, in which he claimed a mandate to remain in
office until 2006.

   © 2003 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd