21799: (Chamberlain) South Africa-Aristide (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   By ELLIOTT SYLVESTER

   CAPE TOWN, May 10 (AP) -- Ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide has officially asked South Africa for asylum until his personal
situation "normalizes," the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Monday.
   The ministry said in a statement that the request was made through the
Caribbean Economic Community (CARICOM) and Mozambique President Joaquin
Chissano, who is the chairman of the African union.
   Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, said in a statement,
that she will take the request to the newly appointed Cabinet, which will
conduct its first meeting later this week.
   The South African government has always maintained that its approach to
the Haitian question will be guided by the views and attitude of CARICOM
and the African Union, she said in the statement.
   The opposition Democratic Alliance party called the request
"inappropriate."
   "No other 'visitor' to South Africa would receive such 'personal'
attention. Aristide's dilemma is not simply 'personal.' It is first and
foremost a political matter," party spokesman Douglas Gibson said.
   The request is the first official indication that Aristide intends to
come to South Africa and follows months of speculation as to where he will
seek refuge.
   Aristide was ousted from power on Feb 29 after a three-eek armed revolt
in the island nation.
   He and his wife, Mildred, arrived in Jamaica on March 15 after a brief
stay in the Central African Republic, where he accused the United States of
forcibly removing him from office.
   U.S. officials deny the charge.
   Jamaica's decision to host Aristide angered the United States and
Haiti's U.S.-back interim government, which said his return to the region
could destabilize Haiti, just 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Jamaica.

_______________


                S.Africa to consider request for Aristide visit


    CAPE TOWN, May 10 (Reuters) - South Africa said on Monday it would
consider a request from Haiti's deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to
stay in the country until he finds a place of permanent asylum.
     "We are not talking about asylum," Foreign Affairs spokesman Ronnie
Mamoepa told Reuters. "We are talking about a temporary arrangement in
which he will be visiting South Africa until he finds a permanent place."
     Mamoepa was clarifying a statement from Foreign Minister Nkosazana
Dlamini Zuma, who said the cabinet would consider a request for Aristide to
visit South Africa passed on by the Caribbean Economic Community to
Mozambique's President Joaquim Chissano, current chairman of the African
Union.
     The cabinet will consider the request when it met on Wednesday,
Mamoepa said.
     Aristide left Haiti on February 29 after an armed revolt and U.S.
pressure to quit. He arrived in Jamaica in early March for what was
supposed to be a 10-week stay with relatives.
     South African President Thabo Mbeki had close ties with Aristide and
his government has backed calls for a United Nations inquiry into
circumstances surrounding the Haitian leader's fall from power.
     Aristide has said he was abducted by U.S. forces and flown out of the
country in what he called a coup d'etat. Washington dismissed the
allegation as nonsense.
     He was first flown to the Central African Republic from where he left
for Jamaica. His aides said he had turned down an asylum offer by Nigeria
and instead indicated his preference to come to South Africa.