24521: (news) Chamberlain: Haiti-Donors' Conference (later story) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   By PETER PRENGAMAN

   CAYENNE, French Guiana, March 18 (AP) -- World donors approved US$1
billion (750 million euros) worth of aid projects for Haiti on Friday,
promising to repair its roads and rebuild its battered power grid, in a bid
to help the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation as it prepares for fall
elections.
   The relief is a confirmation of money pledged last summer, but diplomats
attending the one-day summit said assigning specific projects to each
nation would increase accountability. In July, donors pledged US$1.3
billion for Haiti but less than a fifth of it has been disbursed.
   "If a project isn't going well or according to plan, you'll know who to
ask," said Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew at the summit
organized by France and held in French Guiana's capital, Cayenne.
   A little more than a year after former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide
was ousted amid an armed rebellion, Haiti's roads, schools and hospitals
remain in disrepair, undermining faith in the new government. Languishing
projects also have meant few new jobs for Haitians, most of whom are
unemployed and without access to health care, running water or electricity.
   Of the 380 reconstruction projects approved Friday, most were assigned
to half a dozen nations, including the European Union, France, the United
States, and Canada. Other initiatives came from the World Bank and
Inter-American Development Bank.
   The projects range from repairing major roads and improving the
electricity grid to giving Haitians access to basic health care and running
water.
   "All of our destinies are connected to Haiti," said French Foreign
Minister Michel Barnier. "The international community does not have the
right to fail."
   Frederick Schieck, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International
Development, said the U.S. government was pleased to see so many countries
stepping forward to help Haiti.
   "It's terrible to have a country this poor in our hemisphere," said
Schieck. "This aid will help change that."
   Projects paid for by the United States include water purification,
garbage collection HIV/AIDS awareness education.
   The promised aid comes as Haitian police and 7,400 U.N. peacekeeping
forces struggle to curb escalating violence while preparing for elections
to fill the power vacuum following Aristide's ouster.
   In Haiti on Friday, about 1,000 people marched in the capital in the
funeral procession of three men, including two allegedly shot to death by
police during a Feb. 28 protest to mark the first anniversary of Aristide's
ouster. It was unclear how the third man died.
   Police have denied blame for the killings, saying they fired tear gas,
not bullets, during the protest.
   Some protesters Friday criticized conference in Cayenne.
   "They're only representing the interests of the elite, not the mass
population's," said Samba Boukman, a pro-Aristide activist.
   Armed ex-soldiers who helped oust Aristide still control much of the
countryside while loyalists and detractors of Aristide wage frequent
gunbattles in the slums of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. More than 400
people have died since September in clashes between police, former military
and Aristide militants.
   Top leaders attending Friday agreed that bursts of violence were
hindering Haiti's recovery, but they appeared to be at odds over whether
U.N. and Haitian police forces were actively trying to disarm groups
illegally carrying weapons.
   In opening remarks, Interim Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue said
"we've launched a strong disarmament program, created a commission and are
working with the international community."
   Except for a handful of projects to retrain Haiti's beleaguered police
force, the initiatives don't deal with disarmament or improving security.
   Juan Gabriel Valdes, U.N. envoy to Haiti, said security would improve
when Haitians saw their lives were improving. "We know misery leads to
violence," he said.
   Latortue said his nation is plagued by rolling power blackouts that keep
most of Haiti in darkness at night. He called on international donors to
help restructure the electricity sector and said he would consider
privatizating facilities if there was interest.
   Latortue said Haiti needed to train at least another 2,000 police
officers before the fall elections.
   "We have only 3,000 police for a country of 8 million," said Latortue.
"And experts say we need a force of at least 40,000."