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| Sunday, 19 December 2004 |
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Former soldiers occupuing ex-president's home evicted PORT-AU-PRINCE, Saturday (AFP) Armed UN peacekeepers and Haitian police on Friday evicted former soldiers who were occupying ousted president Jean Bertrand Aristide's mansion here. The former soldiers took over the mansion, located in the Tabarre neighborhood in eastern Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, with the goal of turning it into a new army headquarters. Aristide dissolved Haiti's army in 1995, but former soldiers have called for its revival in recent months. The 100 or so former soldiers surrendered peacfully after they were surrounded by peacekeepers and police. The government had ordered them to leave the house immediately. The protesters had been without food or water for two days, and were taken to the Police Academy to be be examined by doctors, according to UN spokesman Daniel Onses Cardona. Brazilian General Heleno Ribeiro, commander of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, said that he was "relieved that the (encirclement) operation was completed without bloodshed. That's what I wanted." The UN peacekeepers were sent to Haiti following Aristide's departure in February. The interim government put in place after Aristide left said the military issue should be dealt with by the government that will be chosen in elections next year. |
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