18872: Esser: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com


French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Daily Press Briefing

Statements made by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson

(Paris, February 18, 2004)

[Please note that only the original French text issued by the French
Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.]

[...]

HAITI

Q - What came out of the crisis group on Haiti and the minister’s
consultations with his counterparts? Might France provide the bulk of
troops for an intervention force?

I can confirm first of all that the crisis group on Haiti, announced
by the Foreign Minister yesterday, did in fact meet yesterday. It
carefully examined the situation in Haiti and the measures that need
to be envisioned in this context.

The situation in Haiti is continuing to deteriorate to the detriment
of the people who are now caught between the violence of various
armed bands. A serious humanitarian crisis is shaping on. Human
rights violations are increasing. It is essential to prevent the
disorder from spreading.

The situation calls for a prompt response by the parties concerned:
the government and opposition must resume political dialogue
immediately, without preconditions. It is incumbent on them to begin
talks to find together a peaceful, political solution to the crisis
by exploring all the constitutional resources.

For its part, the international community must increase its
mobilization. The minister emphasized this yesterday: if it can help
the Haitian people, it must do so, by supporting the efforts started
many months ago by the OAS and the Caribbean Community, and by
supporting the United Nations which last week sent an inter-agency
team to assess the humanitarian situation.

We must also consider what more we can do; in this spirit we are
conferring with our principal partners to explore the possibilities
for a political solution, possibly through mediation.

In this context, as the minister said yesterday, the question may
come up of a peacekeeping force. I would remind you that the
proposals made by CARICOM incorporate such a concept. The point is to
determine in consultation with all our partners what formula will
make the most effective contribution to a political solution to the
crisis in Haiti.

Q - Do all the scenarios for possible intervention being studied by
France in Haiti have to go through the UN Security Council?

The United Nations is indeed concerned by the crisis in Haiti—the
Security Council still has the question before it under the terms of
past resolutions—but so too are CARICOM, the OAS and the
International Francophony Organization. (I can confirm that the
question of Haiti was discussed yesterday at the meeting Dominique de
Villepin had with the secretary-general of the International
Francophony Organization./.
.