23947: Hermantin (Pub)Haiti's leader urged to focus on security, human rights (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Miami Herald

Posted on Thu, Dec. 16, 2004



ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES


Haiti's leader urged to focus on security, human rights

The United States displayed impatience with Haiti's government, saying the
interim leader could do more to improve security.

BY PABLO BACHELET

pbachelet@herald.com


WASHINGTON - The United States was unusually critical Wednesday of the
interim Haitian government of Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, suggesting it
could do more to improve security and better protect human rights in the
troubled nation.

Roger Noriega, the assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere,
spoke about Haiti at the Organization of American States (OAS), where he
also urged donor organizations to hasten the disbursement of funds to the
impoverished nation. The World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank,
the European Union and other aid institutions met on Haiti in Washington.

Noriega recognized that Haiti was hammered by storms that killed thousands
and that the interim government inherited a country ``whose institutions had
been corrupted, its treasury looted, and its police politicized.

''But the interim leadership must make good on its essential tasks of
providing security, preparing for elections, and defending the human rights
of all Haitians,'' Noriega said in his speech to the Permanent Council of
the 34-member OAS.

CONTRAST IN COMMENTS

While Noriega's comments echo sentiments on the ground from Haiti's
political and economic classes, they contrast with the broadly supportive
statements that have been heard from Bush administration officials on
Latortue so far and suggest that the administration may be growing impatient
with Latortue.

Secretary of State Colin Powell praised Latortue during a visit to the
country on Dec. 1, saying ''much progress has been made under your
leadership,'' although he noted much work remained.

While Powell did ask for the situation to improve on the security and human
rights front, he refrained from holding the Latortue government responsible
for bringing the growing lawlessness in the country under control.

Nearly 100 have died since September in clashes between supporters of former
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and rival gangs.

Aristide fled the country on Feb. 29 following an armed revolt, saying the
United States forced him to leave. The Bush administration said Aristide's
departure was voluntary and it threw its support behind Latortue.

HUMAN RIGHTS

The Haitian government has been criticized by human rights groups for
dealing harshly with supporters of Aristide but turning a blind eye to
abuses by the groups that overthrew him.

Noriega appeared to agree, saying the interim government needed to
''obligate itself to provide due process to any Haitian detained on whatever
charge,'' he added.

Noriega's speech came a day after a top U.N. official called for the
liberation of Yvon Neptune, a former prime minister under Aristide.

''We have made very clear that the government shouldn't allow to have people
in prison who have no accusation against them,'' Juan Gabriel Valdés, the
head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti, told the Inter-American
Dialogue, a Washington think tank.

The U.N. has a peacekeeping force of about 7,200 in Haiti and has been
criticized for being slow in disarming armed gangs that roam freely around
much of Haiti.

Both Noriega and Valdés expressed frustration over the slow pace of aid
disbursement. ''Because of the institutional weaknesses within the interim
government and the high priority on accountability, these funds are not
moving as quickly as they should,'' Noriega said.

Valdés said that Haiti would see little of the more than $1 billion pledged
in a July donor conference for Haiti in 2005, a year the country plans to
hold local and presidential elections. ''This is a complete disaster,'' he
said.

The donors and the Haitian government decided to speed up disbursement by
identifying five or six priority projects, Caroline Anstey, the World Bank
country manager for Haiti, said.

Latortue, who could not be reached to comment on Noriega's speech, did get
strong statements of support from French Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs Renaud Muselier, who said he expected the situation in Haiti to
improve in the coming months.

''Mr. Latortue is quite an exceptional person,'' Muselier told The Herald on
Wednesday, following a breakfast in Miami Beach. ``He takes personal risks
for his country.''

Herald staff writer Jacqueline Charles contributed to this report from
Miami.