27373: Lemieux: News: AlterPresse 1/28/06: Haiti - Elections : A precarious calm following trouble in Ouanaminthe (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JD Lemieux <lxhaiti@yahoo.com>

AlterPresse, Reseau alternatif haitien
d'information www.alterpresse.org Retour au
format normal

Haiti - Elections : A precarious calm following
trouble in Ouanaminthe

27 January 2006

Port-au-Prince, 26 January 2006 [AlterPresse] ---
A precarious calm has returned to Ouanaminthe,
the border town in North-East Haiti, after two
days of tension as René Préval, the Lespwa
presidential candidate, continued his campaign in
the north of the country.

The situation remains volatile in the town, where
two armed groups, one supporting Préval, the
other hostile to him, could clash at any moment,
according to sources on the ground.

According to the information received by
AlterPresse, the risk of armed confrontation
casts doubt on the possibility of holding
elections in Ouanaminthe and other parts of the
North-East, if the UN are unable to neutralise
the armed gangs.

A number of people were wounded during the last
two days of violence that took place on the
fringes of Préval?s visit, reports the Dominican
agency, Espacinsular.

According to this agency, Préval made a short
visit to Ouanaminthe on 25 January where he
briefly addressed his supporters.

The former president who is campaigning for a
second stint, was accompanied by a number of
security guards and police officers. [gp ca apr
26/01/06]

..............

Translated from French by Charles Arthur for the
Haiti Support Group




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