ACP PRESS RELEASE

ADDIS ABABA 18 FEBRUARY 2004

No 4

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Urgent debate on Haiti

In favour of an intervention by the International Community

An emergency debate on the situation in Haiti in the wake of the armed rebellion that has been raging since 5 February, which has already claimed some fifty victims, is included on the JPA agenda. The debate was held on Thursday 18 February on a declaration on the CARICOM Initiative in Haiti read by Mr. Louis H. Straker Deputy Prime Minister of St-Vincent & the Grenadines and Chairman of the CARICOM Council of Foreign and Community Relations. It could not be concluded with the voting of a resolution since the rules of the JPA do not accept that a maximum of two urgent themes could lead to the adoption of resolutions.

Nonetheless, the general trend of the debates was the Assembly’s support of the CARICOM initiative and the positions of the United Nations and the Organization of American States on the despatch of troops to Haiti to prevent the constitutional government from being overthrown by force.

The CARICOM Initiative

The Member of Parliament and Deputy Prime Minister of St-Vincent and the Grenadines, Louis H. Starker gave clarifications on the initiatives of the countries of the Caribbean, which has now been endorsed by the United Nations and the Organization of American States. The main gist of his declaration was:

The continuing deteriorating situation, spiralling out of control requires the greatest effort for an immediate cessation of the violence and lawlessness to stem the tide in which Haiti seems to be adrift and from moving from a failing State to a failed State. Urgent steps must be taken to prevent any further loss of life and the wanton destruction of property-both public and private. Acting as an impartial mediator and honest broker, Caricom has undertaken a number of diplomatic initiatives to facilitate a peace full resolution of the situation, but to no avail.

Caricom considers that the insurrection perpetrated by rebel groups since February 5, 2004 in a number of towns in Haiti, marks what is unarguably the most critical and security crisis seen since President Aristide starts his second presidential mandate in 2001.

Caricom has initiated a number of meetings with the chief players in Haiti. A fact- finding delegation was dispatched to Haiti on January 5, 2004. This was followed by a meeting in the Bahamas between Caribbean Heads of Government and observers with leading opposition representatives, civil society and representatives of the Protestant church. A meeting was convened on January 31 with President Aristide and Caricom Heads in Jamaica at which the Caricom presented to the President what is now known as the Prior Action Plan which details a number of measures to be implemented within 4-6 weeks. President Aristide took the commitments to implement the Prior Action Plan. Another delegation visited Haiti to apprise the opposition groups. The opposition reiterates its refusal to negotiate or to enter into cohabitation with the President and again predicated his departure as a “sine qua non” condition for peace in Haiti.

A further meeting between Caricom representatives, the OAS Secretary Caesar Gaviria, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada and the US Secretary of States, Colin Powell was held on February 14, 2004. Caricom reiterated that it would not condone any change of President in Haiti other than by democratic means.

At the end, M. Starker pointed out that President Aristide still commands the loyalty of a large segment of the Haitian population and his forcible removal from office is fraught with frightening consequences unless there is foreign intervention. He also said that president Aristide has publicly called the opposition to join the Provisional Electoral Council and proceed with the elections, and to join in a broad based government with a neutral Prime Minister and they have rejected this overture.

He concluded that the United States, Canada, the OAS and EU had endorsed the Caricom Plan of Action.

The debate

Mrs Webster (Jamaica), Mr. Donald Ramotar (Guyana) supported the CARICOM declaration. Mrs Webster criticised the Haitian opposition saying that the fact that it had not dissociated itself from those who had chosen the path of violence was not a good sign of their capacity to govern.

Mr. Donald Ramotar, stated that many charges of corruption and other charges could be made but he did not think that was the time for such a debate; that could come later. He said that, for too long, governments of Haiti had been changed by force and violence, and that President Aristide was an exception to that trend.

He added that those who were more critical of Aristide should consider the forces that are today attempting to change the President. It is a motley brunch of escaped and freed criminals, gangs linked to the drug trade.

The senator from Haiti, Mrs Fabienne Jean stressed the fact that President Aristide was prepared to apply the Caricom Plan and that “the terrorist action of the armed bandits linked to the drug trafficking who had been sowing death and destruction since 5 February ….had complicated the situation “ She confirmed that the President of Haiti had launched an appeal to the OAS and Caricom to speed up the despatch of foreign assistance with a view to strengthening the efficiency of the Haiti police, which constitutes one of the measures of the Caricom Plan.

The Europarliamentarians who took the floor observed that Haiti was on the verge of a humanitarian crisis, and supported the Caricom initiative. The nuances between their positions depended on their perception of the responsibilities of the parties to the crisis.

Mr. Bashir Khanbhai (PPE-De, UK) considered that there were no opposition parties in Haiti and that the Assembly must send a clear message to President Aristide to cooperate with Caricom and the United Nations and convince the rebels to abandon violence.

Mrs. Juncker (PSE, Germany) stressed that it was impossible to arrive at an internal solution, considering that there was no army in Haiti, which considered being a good thing, and that the police force was only five thousand strong.

Mrs. Anne André-Léonard (ELDR, Belgium) and Mrs. Inger Schörling (Greens, Sweden) felt that dialogue must be undertaken between President Aristide and the opposition with a view to restoring peace.

Mrs Francisca Sauquillo Pérez del Arco (PSE, Spain) considered that the Haiti crisis was foreseen five years ago in the light of the terror that was being perpetrated in the face of the opposition.

The representative of the European Commission, asked to give his views, confirmed the EU support to the Caricom Plan and affirmed that the Commission continued to support Haiti through projects managed by the civil society and humanitarian actions. The Commission, he added, intended to remain in Haiti and was ready to support the elections, subject to the respect of OAS resolution 8212. The European Union has imposed sanctions on Haiti for three years now.

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Contact: Hegel Goutier Addis Ababa +251 9 64 02 38