18695: Esser: Region rules out military intervention in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

The Nassau Guardian
http://www.thenassauguardian.com

Region rules out military intervention in Haiti
Posted: Monday February 16, 2004

BY VANESSA C. ROLLE

Guardian Staff Reporter

With Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide having being elected
via a democratic process, only political, and not military means,
should be used to remove him from office, Caribbean and United States
officials have agreed.

At a press conference in the VIP lounge at the Nassau International
Airport on Sunday, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell described
last weekend's CARICOM mission to Washington, D.C. as a "considerable
success."

He said the regional grouping, which also met with U.S. Secretary of
State Colin Powell, remained united on the way forward to bringing
peace to Haiti.

Mr Powell had pledged to lend "our good political offices to this
effort," he said.

Not taking sides

"Everyone has gone through great pains to say, and I do so again this
morning, that this is not about supporting any particular side, but
is committing ourselves to a democratic and peaceful process," Mr
Mitchell said.

"It is the process that is important," he emphasised. "The risk is of
course, that if our public doesn't see instant results, or results
very quickly, they would say that our investment has failed. But I
would caution against that."

Kingston Plan

Mr Mitchell acknowledged that getting both sides in Haiti to commit
to a peaceful process was a difficult task for CARICOM, but the
Government under President Aristide had committed itself to the
Kingston Plan.

It was up to the Opposition to do likewise, he said.

Armed groups

According to Mr Mitchell, the potential existed for a humanitarian
crisis, due to various armed groups, of whom very little was known,
blocking food supplies to the north of the country.

With another trip being planned by CARICOM to Haiti this week, he
said, the United Nations, the USA and Canada, were using their
resources to address the food problem.

The United Nations also planned to use skilled negotiators to
persuade the persons blocking the food supplies to allow them
through, Mr Mitchell said.

Air drops?

"There are people who are very skilled in this, and I am sure that
the UN has the best experts on the ground," he said. With assistance
from France, Canada and the USA, persons may be supplied food via air
drops or by sea at alternative ports, he said.

"I am certain that all of those alternatives are going to be
canvassed, but it seems that ultimately, of course, the political
solution between the sides have to be worked out. The immediate
problems, it seems to me, can be worked out in those ways. Hopefully,
between 28 to 48 hours we should know which way that will go," Mr
Mitchell said.

Democratic process

During a press conference with the Secretary General and CARICOM in
D.C., Mr Powell said as President Aristide was democratically
elected, it would not be appropriate to attempt to force him from
office against his will.

"And that is what you've heard us clearly say today is an
unacceptable outcome," Mr Powell was quoted as saying, and also
reported as saying that the U.S. had no intention of sending military
personnel to intervene in Haiti.

Force ruled out

Mr Mitchell continued, "There is no plan, and we discussed no plan
here, for military or other kinds of intervention at this point. We
did discuss, as I mentioned earlier, beefing up the OAS mission that
is there, and we also discussed what we might be able to do if the
Haitians themselves came up with a political solution. And to help
implement that political solution, additional outside support might
be appropriate in the way of a modest number of police personnel or
some financial assistance. And we are prepared to continue
discussions in that kind of support, with respect to that kind of
support."

Coup d'etat rejected

Jamaica's Foreign Minister K. D. Knight also reiterated CARICOM's
position, endorsing the "full application" of democracy in that
nation.

He said that both the Government of Haiti and the political
opposition have obligations and responsibilities to achieve this goal.

He said that the CARICOM initiative seeks to establish a series of
short-term confidence-building measures leading to the goal,
including an end to political violence.

"Violence must not be used, neither to retain power or to obtain
power. There must be compliance with the OAS resolutions. There must
be negotiations of rules for demonstrations and the release of
political detainees. There must be action taken to ensure the
enjoyment of fundamental freedoms," he said.

"There must be the disarmament of all strong-arm groups. Importantly,
there must be action taken to ensure the effectiveness of the police.
And there must also be action taken to lead to the establishment of
the electoral commission," he said.

He said that CARICOM will not accept a coup d'etat in any form in Haiti.

"Any change in Haiti must be through constitutional means. There
should be no doubt about CARICOM's commitment to the democratic
process and the constitutional authority in Haiti. This should not be
construed as uncritical support for the president of Haiti. It is for
democracy in Haiti," he said.

.