18909: (Chamberlain) Haitian government tells UN rebels refuse to talk (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     By Irwin Arieff

    UNITED NATIONS, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The Haitian government, trying to
quash an armed rebellion, told the United Nations on Friday it was doing
all it could to end the crisis peacefully and blamed opposition groups for
refusing to negotiate.
     But diplomats, summoned to an emergency meeting of the 191-nation
General Assembly, told all sides including embattled President President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide to carry out their commitments under a Caribbean
Community action plan for ending Haiti's long-simmering political impasse.
     The United Nations, which currently has no political presence in
Haiti, views the situation as "alarming and dangerous" and U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan intends to soon name a special adviser for
Haiti, Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast told
the assembly.
     The world body will also send a human rights adviser to the capital,
Port-au-Prince, next month after Louis Joinet, a U.N. human rights expert
who will soon travel to Haiti, has evaluated the situation, Prendergast
said.
     Haitian U.N. Ambassador Jean Alexandre told the meeting his government
backed the Caricom initiative and hoped to fully implement its road map to
a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
     But he claimed opposition groups were trying to undermine the
government and block efforts to end violence.
     "The government reaffirms its faith in the democratic future of Haiti
and will do everything in its power to restore the rule of law," Alexandre
said. "These groups are armed opposition groups and they do not intend to
negotiate with the government."
     Prendergast also played down prospects for a negotiated end to the
uprising. "With the positions of the government and the opposition
hardening, dialogue and negotiations have become increasingly unlikely," he
said.
     Several envoys warned the uprising threatened Haitians' health and
food supplies as well as their human rights.
     "The international community is duty-bound to mobilize and to act,"
said French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, calling on the United
Nations to coordinate relief efforts and move quickly to protect human
rights.