22966: (Chamberlain) Mandela meets Haiti's Aristide in S.African exile (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     JOHANNESBURG, Aug 13 (Reuters) - South Africa's elder statesman Nelson
Mandela met ousted Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Friday for
the first time since the controversial former leader arrived in South
Africa in May.
     "We feel great because we are with (former) President Mandela and we
just want to thank him for what he did for Haiti and for the entire world,"
Aristide told reporters during a brief photo opportunity with his wife
Mildred and Mandela.
     Aristide has kept a low profile during his contentious exile, which
has sparked opposition criticism that the government is tainted by
association with a man accused of rights abuses back home.
     Pretoria says Aristide was the victim of a U.S.-sanctioned "regime
change" and has backed a United Nations probe into the events surrounding
his departure from Haiti on February 29 amid an armed revolt.
     President Thabo Mbeki has been a strong supporter of Aristide and was
the only foreign president to attend Haiti's celebration of its
bicentennial earlier this year while Aristide was still in charge.
     The government has rejected opposition and media criticism over its
funding of Aristide's exile -- including his rent and two daughters' school
fees -- saying he arrived in the country without any possessions or money.
     The 86-year-old Mandela, who has largely withdrawn from public life,
thanked Aristide for his visit. "I should have come to see you but I don't
want to appear to be competing with President Mbeki. He's doing very well,"
Mandela said.