21387: (Hermantin)Miami-Herald-French nations promise aid (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Sat, Apr. 17, 2004


HAITI | RESTORING STABILITY


French nations promise aid

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

jcharles@herald.com


PORT-AU-PRINCE -- A 51-member group of French-speaking nations has pledged
to encourage its members to contribute troops to a U.N.-run peacekeeping
force in Haiti and help the interim government with elections planned for
next year.

A delegation from the International Organization of the Francophonie ended a
visit Friday after meetings with the interim government, the opposition and
members of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's Lavalas Family party.

''We are prepared to play an active role within the international
community,'' said Nelson Noel Messone, assistant to Abdou Diouf, the former
president of Senegal who serves as secretary general of the Paris-based
organization.

Messone said that while the Haitian government is committed to fair
elections, many challenges remain, including security problems and the fact
that about 60 percent of Haitians lack identity documents.


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