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| Sunday, 6 June 2004 |
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Haiti once again in US grip Soon a contingent of the Sri Lankan Army will leave for Haiti to part in a United Nations Peace Keeping operation there. This is the first time the Sri Lankan army will engage in a peacekeeping task. Sunday Observer foreign news desk takes a look at the current turmoil in Haiti that necessitated the UN peacekeeping role. Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the Caribbean plunged into crisis early this year with confrontation between the government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and the Opposition taking a violent turn. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has already worked out a formula for a negotiated solution to the crisis. This plan approved by the Organization of American States (OAS) proposed to transfer police powers to the Prime Minister, holding of free and fair parliamentary elections in the near future and the Presidential elections in 2006 at the end of the present President's term. It also proposed to reorganize and train the 5000 strong police force under UN and OAS control. It was also proposed to appoint a Council of three persons to represent President Astride, the Opposition and the international community. This Council was to name an independent Prime Minister. On February 29, however, President Aristride was forced to leave Haiti as a multi-national force of nearly 1000 troops led by the USA arrived in Port-au-Prince, apparently to disarm the armed rebel groups and restore order. A former police Chief, Guy Phillipe, who even earlier in 2001 tried to overthrow Aristride, headed these rebels. Phillipe had returned from exile in the Dominican Republic and had become the self-proclaimed leader of the Haitian Armed Forces. (Haiti does not have an army.) The multi-national forces did not disarm the rebels and they were allowed to retreat to the North. General Ronald Coleman, Commander of th multi-national forces was reported to have said that "disarming the rebels is not our mission". ####### Haiti - Fact file Location: Western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, in the Caribbean, bordered on the East by the Dominican Republic. Area: 27, 750 sq. km Climate: Tropical semi-arid Population: 7, 527,817 (July 2003) Life expectancy at birth: 51.61 years Ethnic groups: Black 95%, mulatto and white 5% Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% Others 4% Languages: French (official), Creole (official) Capital: Port-au-Prince National Day: January 1 Population below poverty line: 80% (2002) |
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