21466; Blanchet: Fw: Armed irregular forces continue to wield de facto power - Haiti Support Group (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <MaxBlanchet@worldnet.att.net>
From: <Tttnhm@aol.com>


> Armed irregular forces continue to wield de facto power - Haiti Support
Group
> press release, 21 April 2004
>
> The London-based Haiti Support Group, a solidarity organisation working
> alongside Haiti's popular, democratic movement since 1992, continues to be
very
> concerned by moves by armed irregular forces to establish themselves as de
facto
> administrative authorities.
>
> Two recent incidents highlight what may well be a process taking place all
> over the country. According to the Haitian Press Agency, on 19 April, in
Jacmel,
> members of the former armed opposition force, which has controlled much of
> the country since mid-February, prevented the installation of the
government's
> appointee at the departmental education office. Members of the armed group
> declared that no appointments are possible in Jacmel unless they are
consulted in
> advance.
>
> The Haiti Press Network reported that on 7 April, in St Marc, members of
the
> armed former opposition organisation, RAMICOS, prevented the installation
of
> a new government commissioner, and claimed the right to be consulted first
> about all such appointments.
>
> These incidents occur against a backdrop of de facto power exercised by
armed
> irregular groups in cities such as Gonaives, Cap-Haitien, Les Cayes and
> Hinche. By entering into negotiations with them, both the interim
government and
> the foreign intervention forces have lent these blatantly illegal, de
facto
> authorities considerable credibility. The most recent example of this was
the
> commander of the Chilean contingent of the multinational force seeking
> 'permission' to enter the Central Plateau from the leader of the armed
irregular force
> based in Hinche.
>
> We also note with alarm the Reuters report of 20 April in which ex-army
> Colonel Remissainthe Ravix, who claims to command 1,681 former soldiers,
calls on
> the interim government to pay former FADH soldiers some 10 years of back
pay.
> (The FADH was demoblised in early 1995.)
>
> The Haiti Support Group calls on the interim government to denounce the
> existence of these illegal parallel de facto authorities. We also call on
the
> individuals and organisations that were so vocal in supporting democracy
and the
> rule of law during the Aristide/Neptune administration to end their
silence on
> the continuing erosion of governmental authority over the last two months.
>
> ______________________________________________
>
>
> This email is forwarded as a service of the Haiti Support Group.
>
> See the Haiti Support Group web site:
> www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org
>
> Solidarity with the Haitian people's struggle for justice, participatory
> democracy and equitable development, since 1992.
> ____________________________________________