|
MINUSTHA's random firing in order to take control of heavily
populated areas causing the slaughter of countless civilians
UN
(MINUSTHA) show of force actions, causing inumerable
civilian deaths, July 14, 2006
Translation of excerpts of a July 14, 2006 Radio Levekampe
Broadcast
(Masner Beauplan show) Report
direct from Haiti on the tensions in the streets
and MINUSTHA actions. Translated from
Kreyol original into English by Frantz Jerome,
Ezili Danto Witness Project, July 14, 2006
(UN
Actions - Listen to original Kreyol audio)
*START OF REPORT:
Interviewer:
How is the situation this morning?
Haiti Correspondent: Since very early this morning
some areas are very hot.
Areas like [a long list inaudible] and Kosovo. This morning (July
14, 2006) has been the scene of heavy artillery fire. And, we
just noticed three MINUSTHA tanks rolling by
Rue Monseigneur Guilloux. The soldiers seem ready to fire at people.
They have modified their equipment and use bag like shields for
extra
security. They stand at the ready, aiming at passersby.
Interviewer: How is the situation in the Simon area?
Haiti Correspondent: Since early yesterday morning
one can hear nonstop gunfire music in the area of Simon and Pele,
a reaction from MINUSTHA soldiers, according to
a statement by Mrs. [inaudible] the MINUSTHA spokesperson. She
explained that three Brazilian soldiers had been wounded and are
being cared
for. According to Mrs. Sophie (Boutaud de la Combe) it was during
an
attack on bandits that the soldiers were wounded. However, the
inhabitants
of Simon and Pele are peaceful and say that they have not attacked
the
United Nations soldiers.
Subsequent to the United Nations soldiers announcing that they
are
looking for [inaudible] and firing randomly, many people deserted,
not
sticking around. [inaudible] fired along with the UN soldiers.
In the areas
of Simon, Pele, Site Militaire, [inaudible] circulation is very
sparse. The
bus stations for Cap, the one for Gonaives, they are practically
deserted at this moment.
Things were tense throughout last night in the area of HASCO at
the
entrance of Boston, near the water cittern. What exactly was happening?
The UN soldiers were not in control of the area. They decided
to get in
and secure a school to be used as base. The minute they started
their
move, they started to fire their heavy artillery at random.
The people of Boston said that they have nothing to do with the
shootings [interruption...] The people of Boston said that they
have no problem
with the UN and would only want to know why the soldiers are shooting.
Preliminary results: four people died in the area of Site Soley,
the
area of Boston.
General Toutou aka [inaudible], said that he fails to understand
the
intentions of the UN soldiers. They were coming to use the area's
National school as a base, yet started sustained gunfire, while
moving in,
causing people to scatter in a panic. Four people died and many
were
wounded, among them a pregnant woman, according to General Toutou.
He pointed out that ever since the Feb. 7th vote, Site Soley has
been
peaceful and that they, from Site Soley made a deliberate choice.
They
had chosen Rene Garcia Preval because they wanted peace. But General
Toutou says that he does not understand the UN soldiersï¿1⁄2
motivation, for
they have launched an attack against Site Soley and Boston since
last
night.
The tension is red hot. The UN soldiers [inaudible?] really the
situation is very complicated. Why are the UN soldiers initiating
such
actions? According to a UN spokesperson explained that the UN
soldiers are
controlling forty areas in the metropolitan area. They are using
a map of
Port-au-Prince and say that their presence will be noted in these
different areas.
General Toutou explained that it is an attempt to intimidate the
people
of Site Soley ready to mobilize. A call to mobilization has been
placed
by Amaral, calling on all 34 sections of Site Soley to come out
tomorrow (Saturday July 15) and join the huge demonstration expected
to
celebrate Jean Bertran Aristide's birthday, 54th birthday. General
Toutou
says that no mater what, in spite of the pressure, everybody in
Site Soley
is ready to take to the streets tomorrow.
He also pointed out that he has never stopped counting bodies
nor
dressing wounds for inocent people. He hopes that President Preval
along
with Prime Minister Alexis will sit down with the UN mission,
Mr. Edmond
Mulet and provide specific directives to the UN soldiers. Can
the
government order the UN soldiers? We don't know. However, Rosny
Desroches had
announced that he sat down with high-ranking members of the UN
mission
and according to Rosny Desroches, they had explained to him that
they
were awaiting clear orders to take action.
We will point out that the private sector [Group 184] had ordered
General Heleno to shoot at the inhabitants of the popular neighborhoods.
[when they did not comply] The private sector did not agree with
the
attitude of the UN soldiers. It was clear to them that MINUSTHA's
mission
was to destroy and eliminate many popular neighborhoods like Site
Soley,
Bele, Lasalin, Solino. Well Rosny Desroches says that he is sure
that
the UN soldiers will rectify their attitude and do their work
the way
they should this time around.
In the mean time, how far will this go? Is it a way for MINUSTHA
to
justify the importance of their presence in Haiti? Is that the
reason
for the chaos, the panic?
We will say that there are areas where the soldiers, to guarantee
their
security, prior to crossing any crossroad, they start shooting
at
random. We know that military strategy is set for the crossing
of crossroads
and that it may call for them to fire at random for their own
security
and keeping their enemy at bay. Still, since last night and this
morning, as we are talking to you, the tension is rising in Simon,
in Pele
and climbing to unprecedented levels.
End of Excerpt, translated by the Ezili Danto Witness Project,
July
15, 2006
****
(For original, listen to Kreyol audio
(UN
Actions - Listen to original Kreyol audio)
***********************
Ezili Danto Witness Project reports direct from Haiti: 1. On the
Gran Ravine Massacre, 2) New Wave of violence in Gonaive said
to be led by Coup D'etat's Guy Phillip soldiers 3) New wave of
Port au Prince violence led by the Coup d'etat's Lame Timanchet
and 4) The UN takes these coup d'etat led violence as opportunity
to slaughter Haitian civilians| Solda Nasyonzini yo ap tire sou
moun yo lan Port au Prince | Sitiyasyon an sho lan Gonaives tou
https://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/ezilidanto/2006-07/msg00008.html
***********************
Haiti News:
15 JULY 2006
Fondasyon 30 Septanm will organize a peaceful
mobilization on Saturday, 15 July
2006, in Port-au-Prince. The march will have three themes: a)
the immediate liberation
of all political prisoners; b) the immediate return of President
Aristide to Haiti;
and c) the reintegration of public employees illegally revoked
following the
February 29, 2004 coup d'etat.
***********************
Haitian Civil Servants Protest Lay Offs
by AHP July 10, 2006
http://www.ahphaiti.org
Haitian Civil servants unjustly fired take
to streets of Port-au-prince to call for their reintegration and
for the liberation of all political prisoners. Preval begins commission
of inquiry into the massive lay offs that took place under the
Latortue government.
Port-au-Prince, July 10, 2006
- (AHP) Employees who were unjustly dismissed from the public
administration over the last two years organized a non-violent
march in the streets of Port-au-Prince to urge the new authorities
to reintegrate them and to liberate all political prisoners.
The march, organized by the Plateforme rèsistence populaire
du Bel-Air (Bel- Air Popular Resistance) along with the "greater
Lavalas movement" and the "coordination of progressive
organizations", set out fromn the populist district of Saint-Martin
and finished up at Constitution Square near the National Palace.
Participants called on President Renè Prèval to
understand the necessity to urgently reverse the injustices and
severe wrongs inflicted on hundreds of people and their families
for political reasons.
These citizens were fired solely because they were deemed partisan
to the Aristide government following his forced departure on February
29, 2004, the demonstrators said.
Several of those dismissed from their positions with the national
telephone service (Tèlèco), the national old-age
insurance officer (ONA), the national port authority (APN), were
subsequently arrested when they asked for damages. "We are
not against the outreach policy of the president, but this policy
cannot be accompanied by a strategy to close off all those who
were sacrificed and who were used as cannon fodder to promote
a new future," cried the demonstrators at the Constitution
Square. Others called on the new government to "resist the
opportunistic schemers who want to marginalize their voices as
was done so skillfully under the Aristide government." A
spokesperson for Fanmi Lavalas, Renè Monplaisir, gave his
support for the rights of those employees unfairly laid off by
the former Latortue regime who wish to assert their rights. They
nevertheless applauded the new authorities for creating commissions
to study the employee' files in an effort to come to a solution.
Renè Monplaisir announced an important meeting with various
representatives of the popular sectors to help advance this struggle,
he said. "We will continue to mobilize to ensure the rights
of all citizens, said Lavalas activists. Activists at the July
10, 2006 demonstration also called for the release of hundreds
of citizens, including former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, who
has been in detention for almost the entire two years of the interim
regime led by Gerard Latortue because of their political views.
AHP July 10, 2006, 12:30 PM
To read more on the layoffs and failed solidarity of foreign labor
institutions to stand up for layed off civil servants read: http://labornotes.org/archives/2006/06/articles/f.shtml
**********
 See
also: |
|
Failed
Solidarity by Jeb Sprague
***************
Reverse
Solidarity: The Reactionary role of US Labor in haiti and
Venezuela by Jeb Sprague and Kim Scipes
***************
HLLN's
call for investigation of the CEP and electoral fraud in
the 2006 presidential and legislative elections.
***********************
Remembering
July 6, 2005
(also in Kreyol)
******
Haitian
Children Put in Chains by the Whites: Remebering How the
UN dropped bombs on Haitian civilians in Site Soley last
July , 2005 then put the wounded in chainsDanto Spoken Word
Dance Theater
************
Blan
Kolon mete jèn Ayisyen Lan Kod
************
AUMOHD's
Preliminary Report on July 7, 2006 Gran Ravine Massacre
***************
Undeclared
War on Haiti's Poor by Ken Rosenthal,
July 11, 2006
***************
Tension
and Grief in the Caribbean by Ken Rosenthal, March 1, 2006
***************
One
Island, Two Nations by Ken rosenthal, July 1, 2006
***************
Expose
the Lies
***************
***********************
Lame
Timanchèt: The DDR Fiasco,
Ezili Danto Witness Project, July 19, 2006 (Matisan Video
Clips - Clip
1 begging forgiveness, Clip2
- March 19, 2006 interview with Sason; Clip3
- Peace between Gran Ravine activists and the police would
turn false as police-created Lame Timanchèt would
3-months later attack the Gran Ravine community, again
***************
|
|
|
EXPOSE THE LIES:
Expose how under the cover of "Aristide-is-corrupt-refrain,"
with this
weapon of mass distraction and Bush's regime change to bring Haiti
justice and
democracy," the powerful countries of France, Canada and
US, with UN
soldiers as their corporate army, have turned Haiti into a penal
colony for
the Haitians masses and are tying Haiti to endless IMF/World Bank
debts
while looting and plundering Haitian lands, assets and resources.
Demand the
International coup d'etat supporting countries and enforcers,
not Rene
Preval, set the political prisoners free, end the UN occupation,
return
stolen Haitian assets.
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/expose.html
***************
***********************
Sitiasyon
an sho lan Gonaive tou: Ale tande rapò sa an Kreyol
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/testimonies/Gonaives.mp3
*
Ezili Danto's Note (July 15, 2006):
Gonave Turmoil - Ezili Danto/HLLN understands that much of this
may not make sense to our non-Haitian friends. But time is of
the essence
and this information is important to Haitians working on stopping
the bloodshed
Check HLLN website for analysis and final report on the turmoil
in Gonaives, the actors
involved, the rumors of President Preval "not doing well"
and the UN show
of force and military operations in Port au Prince that is taking
the lives
of dozens of Haitian civilians per week.
***********************
Here is the Kreyol original of Goinaves
Turmoil
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/testimonies/Gonaives.mp3
*
***********************
Report of Turmoil in Gonaives, Haiti, July 14, 2006
(Levekampe Broadcast, the Masner Beauplan show, Haiti correspondent
direct from the streets of Haiti. Excerpt translated by Frantz
Jerome, Ezili
Danto Witness Project)
START OF REPORT:
Turmoil in Gonaives led, some say by Guy Philippe's soldiers
Interviewer: We learned that the situation is
also tense in Gonaives?
Haiti Correspondent: Well in Gonaives the situation
is tense since the beginning
of the world cup.... Commander Hypolithe, he had explained that
there were
strong rumors that the assailants had promised that they would
take
action after the world cup. According to statement that the commanding
officer of the area made to journalists, these guys [the assailants
–
Guy Philippe’s soldiers] confronted the police for two hours,
shooting it out with them. The
assailants are heavily armed and were shooting high calibers at
the police precinct.
The commander criticized the Pakistani soldiers’ attitude,
for their
failure to help them when they were under attack. He said that
it was
thanks to the vigilance of the police officers and their determined
response to the assailants’ attempt to take the Gonaives
police precinct,
that they were stopped. Still, he remarked that the band of criminals,
thugs and assailants ransacked the businesses of the area, robbing,
pillaging and destroying two cell phone companies and a variety
of other
businesses.
The inhabitants of Gonaives had sent an alert to the national
police
and the government, asking that they put an end to the actions
of the
assailants. Yesterday, they resumed their activities, wreaking
havoc in
the areas of Jubile, Dekao and in Gonaives proper. Sustained gunfire
was
heard throughout the night, last night, in Gonaives.
Interviewer: What will the end result be?
Haiti Correspondent: That remains the question!
Later we learned that a contingent of
Peruvian soldiers are scheduled to arrive in Haiti. Many questions
are being
asked. What richest is being distributed in Haiti? What exactly
is it
that they are after? Is it because of the emeralds and gold sharing
that
any and all foreign soldier wants to come to Haiti? Without a
doubt,
the Peruvians as well are lining up to get their share of the
richest
being looted in Haiti.
We know that Gonaives is a high-risk area, to raise the stakes,
Ti Wil
(Front Rezistans - close to the assailants) made a statement to
the
effect that he is gathering reinforcements with all the people
he knows are
armed; the members of the Front Rezistans who are armed. Ti Wil
announced that he made a count of 300 Rezistans members who have
arms and that
he will easily recuperate these arms. But our information is that
there
are approximately 7,000 members of the Front Rezistans that are
heavily
armed, in the Artibonite department, the North and Plato Santral
departments. They are very heavily armed! Even though [inaudible]
Ferdinand
had hinted that he was ready to collaborate with the government
on the
mater of disarmament, what is happening in Gonaives is self-evident.
End
Of
Report.
Translated by the Ezili Danto Witness Project.
Kreyol
original
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/testimonies/Gonaives.mp3
***********************
Ezili Danto's Note on this AHP
July 12 report (copied below) on the donor conference. The report
makes a statement, unrelated to the donor conference, which HLLN
found important. So we highlight it for our Network.
**************************************************
AHP NEWS - 12 July 2006
**************************************************
Haitian donor conference: Highest authorities, including President
Preval, are committed to conferences success, says the coordinator
of the technical secretariat
Port-au-Prince, 12 July 2006 (AHP) Anthony Dessources, the
coordinator of the technical secretariat for the next donors'
conference on Haiti, stated on Wednesday that preparations were
going
as planned for this event scheduled for July 25 in Port-au-Prince.
This conference, which is simply an extension of the Interim Cooperation
Framework (CCI)
scheduled to end in 2007, will be a high-level activity with the
participation of Foreign Affairs ministers, Presidents of large
international financial institutions like the World Bank, the
IDB and other regional organizations,? stated Mr. Dessources who
was
speaking during a program of the privately owned station, Radio
Solidarity
This conference will be the occasion for the new government to
"convince donors of the necessity to support efforts aimed
at the economic and social development of the country," he
said.
Anthony Dessources indicated that the government is taking this
event seriously and is already adopting measures in order to ensure
its success.
"The President of the Republic Rene Preval, Prime Minister
Jacques Edouard Alexis and other personalities and friends of
the international community are directly getting involved in preparation
for this conference," underlined the coordinator of the conferences'
technical secretariat, taking advantage of the opportunity to
also minimize rumors claiming that President Preval wasn't
doing well. (Ezili Danto's
note and emphasis. For
a week now in Haiti, there has been persistent rumors that President
Preval has been poisoned, has passed away or is sick by foul means.
RUMORS. This is the first HLLN has seen it somewhat in writting.
HLLN notes it only to contextualize the tensions running through
the poor population in Haiti at the moment that may not be readily
observable by those not in-the-know about this fear that someone,
some-coup-d'etat somenone, who doesn't want President Preval to
move into the National Palace, will hurt President Preval and
blame it on the masses - scapegoating them and "lavalas"
as has been done. We are informed that President Preval has not
yet moved into the National Palace as the coup d'etat regime stole
everything and left it in shambles. We are informed that even
the toilet seats were taken.)
I worked on Tuesday and Wednesday with the head-of-state on the
entirety of the dossiers concerning this conference. He didn't
seem to
me like someone who wasn't feeling well, Mr. Dessources stated
while
questioning who profits from spreading such rumors.
In terms of the conference, Anthony Dessources stated that the
government will
keep track of who was programmed into the conference within the
framework of the CCI, what was spent, what savings remain and
to see
how such savings could be better used and redirected towards the
priorities of the government.
It will also be the occasion, he said, to see what kinds of funding
can be mobilized within this framework to complete the programs
and projects envisioned for President Preval's five-year term.
Invited to specify the amount already released by donors within
the
CCI's framework, Anthony Dessources was careful not to comment
since he wasn't sure of the numbers.
He stated however that there is a problem in following up when
it
comes to this dossier.
Of the 1.2-billion dollars promised, 964-million were handed over
to the interim authorities over the past two years.
Stating that the authorities are conscious of serious socio-economic
problems that the majority of the population is exposed to, Mr.
Dessources invited people to have confidence in the government,
even if it must continue to demand changes peacefully.
He also expressed the desire that the competent authorities will
manage to stop all acts of banditry that have been registered
in the last few weeks throughout the country.
AHP 12 July 2006 11:30 AM
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Chamber of Deputies Justice Commission meets with Justice Minister
to discuss political prisoners and security
Port-au-Prince, 12 July 2006 (AHP) Members of the Chamber of Deputies
Justice and Public Security Commission met on Wednesday with Justice
Minister Rene Magloire and the Commissioner of the Port-au-Prince
government to discuss the insecurity that prevails in the country
and the question of prolonged preventive detention.
Several cases of violence were registered over the past weeks
throughout the country, while hundreds of citizens are languishing
unjustifiably behind bars for more than two years for largely
political reasons.
The President of the Justice Commission, Patrick Domond (Lespwa),
stated that the functioning of the Haitian judicial system was
at the center of discussions.
"The Minister of Justice guaranteed that urgent measures
are envisaged to resolve certain crucial problems confronting
Haiti in the realm of justice," he said.
For his part, the vice-president of the commission, deputy Emmanuel
Fritz Gerald Bourjoli (Fusion), indicated that around warrants
have been issued against individuals accused of participating
in the violence recorded last week in the Martissant quarter.
At least 20 people, including children were murdered by members
of the Ti Machet [Little Machete] army, a group of bandits formed
under the
interim regime that already carried out a
massacre of more than 10
persons in the same quarter of Grand Ravine in August 2005.
Emmanuel Fritz Gerald Bourjoli also asked for the liberation of
all
political prisoners.
AHP 12 July 2006 2:35 PM
*******************************
Murder and burglary in Gonaives:
population demands the adoption of measures designed to put an
end to the terror
Gonaives, 12 July 2006 (AHP) Over night Wednesday, unidentified
armed individuals shot dead a woman answering to the name Marie
Claude
Bernard.
A son of the victim, Eval Bernard stated that his mother was killed
as a result of the climate of insecurity that reigns in the City
of
Independence.
On the same night, other armed individuals took money and other
valuable objects during a raid of a commercial enterprise in the
city.
Residents in the city are calling for the adoption of measures
to
end this situation of terror.
The executive-director for the National Commission on Justice
and
Peace, Father Jean Hansens, argued that all sectors of national
life must
pool their efforts to find a way of reigning in the phenomenon
of
insecurity throughout the country.
Father Hansens, who was heading to Jacmel in the south-east of
the
country, deplored the fact that certain segments of the population
were taking advantage of the poor conditions of life facing the
impoverished youth living in popular neighborhoods in order to
feed the violence.
He took advantage of the occasion to plead in favor of profound
changes within the judicial apparatus and for the adoption of
measures
aiming to professionalize the national police.
At the same time, dozens of weapons and munitions were discovered
on
Tuesday at the EMT3 customs terminal of Port-au-Prince at Boulevard
La
Saline.
These weapons and munitions were handed over to the national police
following the decision of justice-of-the-peace Rochelle Augustin.
Customs director Erick Charles was careful not to make public
the
names of those carrying the weapons or their owners in order not
to block the
judicial inquiry.
AHP 12 July 2006 12:10 PM
******************************
Thousands seek Aristide's
return to Haiti By STEVENSON
JACOBS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER, July 16, 2006
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Thousands of demonstrators demanding
the return of ousted president Jean-Bertrand Aristide marched
to Haiti's National Palace on Saturday, pushing past riot police
in a dramatic show of support for the exiled former leader.
Chants of "Aristide or death!" and "Aristide's
blood is our blood!" rang out
as a crush of demonstrators pressed against a line of national
police, who eventually allowed some 3,000 protesters to fill the
street outside the palace.
The march coincided with Aristide's 53rd birthday and marked the
largest display of support in months for the deposed leader, who
fled Haiti in February 2004 amid a violent uprising and has been
living in South Africa.
Helmeted police wielding batons and riot shields formed a human
chain to keep protesters from approaching the whitewashed National
Palace, President Rene Preval's official residence, which was
guarded by dozens of U.N. peacekeepers in armored cars.
Police pushed back several protesters but the confrontation did
not escalate to violence. Still, the show of force prompted many
to turn back, fearful of a clash.
"If there's blood it will be on your hands!" a man yelled
at police before they yielded.
"We voted for Preval on the condition that he bring back
Aristide. That's the will of the people," said Bruce Pierre
Richard, 21.
Preval, a champion of Haiti's poor who took power in May, has
said Haiti's constitution allows Aristide to return but has not
said whether he would welcome him home. Preval was prime minister
under Aristide but the two grew apart and Preval has said little
since his election about his former political mentor, frustrating
Aristide supporters.
| 
|
AP Photo:Pro-Aristide
supporters kiss an Aristide portrait during a demonstration
demanding for the return of ousted president Jean Bertrand
Aristide in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, July 15,
2006. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
|
The United States
has warned Aristide's return could destabilize the Caribbean country.
"The international community doesn't want Aristide to come
back, so they're pressuring Preval to keep him out," said
demonstrator Harold Lafaliese, 40.
The protest came amid a surge of bloodshed that U.N. officials
say is aimed at undermining Preval's new government.
Most of the violence is blamed on warring street gangs, including
last week's massacre of 22 civilians in Port-au-Prince's Martissant
slum.
Militants in recent days have also spread rumors that Preval had
died, cut telephone lines at Port-au-Prince's international airport
and staged other disturbances to stir unrest, U.N. officials say.
U.N. officials have doubled patrols in the capital in a bid to
crack down on the gangs, which operate with virtual impunity in
Port-au-Prince's densely populated, maze-like slums.
***********
Thousands
march for exiled Aristide in Haiti
Sun Jul 16, 2006 12:40 AM BST
By Joseph Guyler Delva
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) - Thousands of supporters of exiled
former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide took to the capital's
streets on Saturday to call for his return and demand political
prisoners be freed.
The protest in Port-au-Prince, which witnesses said included about
30,000 people, was largely peaceful apart from a brief stand-off
with U.N. peacekeepers and riot police.
It was held on the 53rd birthday of Aristide, who is living in
South Africa. Protesters danced to drums, chanted "Aristide
is king" and sang happy birthday to the exiled leader.
"We want Aristide back because he is Haitian, not South African,"
said Jean Woody Pierre-Paul, a spokesman for the marchers.
The demonstrators called on newly elected President Rene Preval,
a one-time ally of Aristide's, to free all political prisoners
jailed under the previous interim administration of Prime Minister
Gerard Latortue.
Latortue's unelected, U.S.-backed administration took over after
Aristide fled an armed revolt in 2004. Preval in February became
the impoverished and unstable Caribbean country's first elected
leader since Aristide.
The crowd, mainly from the slums where Aristide and Preval drew
most of their support, also called for public employees fired
en masse by the Latortue government to be given back their jobs.
The United States, which exerts enormous influence in Haiti, has
warned Preval that Aristide's return would destabilise Haiti.
A champion of the country's poor masses, the former Roman Catholic
priest is deeply mistrusted by its wealthy elite and by conservatives
in Washington.
The protesters almost clashed with police and U.N. peacekeepers
when they were barred from approaching the presidential palace.
Most scattered when Haitian security forces pulled their guns
and threatened to shoot. But several thousand protesters managed
to force their way through.
"I can't believe that under Preval the population can be
barred from demonstrating in front of the presidential palace,"
said Josias Mathurin, a protester. "We spent two years fighting
the interim government to regain this right," he said.
*****************************
Associated Press
|
|
|
|
Photo:
AP. Pro-Aristide supporters confront Haitian police in front
of the Presidential Palace on Saturday.
(July 15, 2006)
|
PORT-AU-PRINCE,
Haiti – Thousands of demonstrators demanding the return
of ousted president Jean-Bertrand Aristide marched to Haiti’s
National Palace on Saturday, pushing past riot police in a dramatic
show of support for the exiled former leader.
Chants of “Aristide or death!” and “Aristide’s
blood is our blood!” rang out as a crush of demonstrators
pressed against a line of national police, who eventually allowed
3,000 protesters to fill the street outside the palace.
The march coincided with Aristide’s 53rd birthday and marked
the largest display of support in months for the deposed leader
who fled Haiti in February 2004 amid a violent uprising and has
been living in South Africa.
Helmeted police wielding batons and riot shields formed a human
chain to keep protesters from approaching the National Palace,
President Rene Preval’s official residence, which was guarded
by dozens of U.N. peacekeepers in armored cars.
The United States has warned Aristide’s return could destabilize
the Caribbean country.
“The international community doesn’t want Aristide
to come back, so they’re pressuring Preval to keep him out,”
said demonstrator Harold Lafaliese, 40.
The protest came amid a surge of bloodshed that U.N. officials
say is aimed at undermining Preval’s government.
Most of the violence is blamed on warring street gangs, including
last week’s massacre of 22 civilians in Port-au-Prince’s
Martissant slum. Militants in recent days have also spread rumors
that Preval had died, cut telephone lines at Port-au-Prince’s
international airport and staged other disturbances to stir unrest,
U.N. officials say.
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Mobilisation du 15 Juillet
2006
Des organisations de base de Fanmi Lavalas
A l’occasion de l’anniversairede de naissance du Président
Jean Bertrand Aristide
Défiant les menées intimidatrices des Forces de
l’ordre, très tôt ce matin, une grande foule
de personnes commença à se rassembler devant la
résidence du Président Aristide à Tabarre.
Les gens arrivaient de Pétion Ville et de ses environs,
de tous les coins de Tabarre, de La Croix des Bouquets, de La
Croix des Missions, de Butte Boyer, de la région de l’Aéroport
…etc
Au même moment, la même situation se produisait devant
le Théatre National, devant l’église Notre
Dame du Perpétuel Secours au Bel-Air, et au Carrefour de
l’Aviation. Le 5e lieu de rassemblement initial, Cité
Soleil, divisé en 3 grands zônes attendait l’arrivée
de la foule compacte qui venait, selon les consignes, de Tabarre
avec en tête Gwo Lobo en personne qui conduisait un mini
mobile, sur lequel se trouvait tout le matériel de sonorisation,
ainsi que des membres de la Cellule Nationale des Organisations
Populaires: Base Fanmi Lavalas, dont: Jean Marie Samedi, le Coordonnateur
National, Sony Orélien, René Civil.
On pouvait remarquer dans la foule d’autres membres de la
Cellule comme Lesly Gustave, Danielle Jean Philippe, Deshommes
Présengloire, Fritz Mercius, Jude Laporte, Mathurin Floriant,
Franky Chevalier, Getro…; d’autres cadres comme Jean
Marie Plantin, Phélito Doran, Dufort Milord, Lamour, Marc
Forest Casséus…etc; des membres d’organisations
des droits de l’homme comme Wilson Mésilien, Gilbert
Elméus, Vaudrey Abellard ( Fondation Trente Septembre),
Ronald Saint Jean CDPH/GDP (Comité de Défense des
Droits du Peuple Haitien/ Groupe de Défense des Droits
des Prisonniers Politiques. Beaucoup d’épouses des
prisonniers politiques étaient présentes (GDP),
ainsi que les candidats de Fanmi Lavalas pour les prochaines élections
municipales et locales de la zône métropolitaine
de Port-au-Prince comme Roger Millien, Claudy Sidney, Gabriel
Excellent, Dupiton Joseph, pour ne citer que ceux-là. Aucun
parlementaire élu de Fanmi Lavalas pour la 48e législature,
n’était présent.
Plusieurs bandes à pied animaient le “Manman Pinmba”,
c’est à dire, une plus grande foule encore, constituée
de gens habitant Cité Soleil, renforcée par plusieurs
milliers de gens qui sont arrivés de Tabarre. Lorsque Lavalas
quittait la cité, pour regagner la rue, en direction du
Bel-Air, c’était comme une interminable chenille
qui se détirait tout le long de la Nationale #1, depuis
le Réservoir d’eau Principal de Cité Soleil,
construite par le Président Jean Bertrand Aristide, à
la grande stupéfaction des soldats de la MINUSTHA, qui
se positionnaient pour photographier, en même temps qu’ils
étaient, eux aussi, photographiés, par des éléments
de la foule soit avec des caméras photo, soit avec des
caméras vidéo. On avait l’impression qu’il
ne restait plus personne à Cité Soleil et que toute
la Cité était dans la rue pour dire “Bonne
Fete” au President Titid, leur Idole, leur Leader, leur
Roi, disaient-ils.
La Cellule Nationale de Réflexion des Organisations Populaires
: Base Fanmi Lavalas, avec l’encadrement d’une petite
équipe constituée de cadres de Fanmi Lavalas, qui
vivaient en exil, avait lancé, et planifié cette
grande mobilisation. La Cellule avait rempli toutes les formalités
légales 5 jours à l’avance. La veille de la
Manif, dans l’après midi, une correspondance signée
du Directeur Général de la Police Nationale, remise
au local de la Fondation Aristide, siège provisoire de
Fanmi Lavalas, et distribuée à la presse, apprenait
que les autorités policières exigeaient que:
1- La manif prenne fin à 1:00 h au lieu de 3:00 h.
2- La police a apporté des modifications au parcours de
la Manif.
3- La Manif doit prendre fin devant l’église Notre
Dame du Perpétuel Secours au Bel-Air et non devant le Palais
National tel que prévu, discuté et accepté
précédemment.
Trois jours avant la manif et sans répit, les soldats de
la MINUSTHA ont créé un climat de tension dans les
quartiers de Cité Soleil, de Pelé, de Simon…etc
en tirant avec des fusils d’assaut partout et blessant plusieurs
personnes. Il y eut un mort à Cité Soleil et plusieurs
blessés graves parmis les soldats de la MINUSTHA, contingent
brésilien basé à Cité Soleil, qui
ont remplacé les Jordaniens. Les Brésiliens blessés
ont été transportés d’urgence en République
Dominicaine pour être soigné.
Selon le nouveau Ministre de l’Intérieur, le Professeur
Paul Antoine Bien-Aimé, des rumeurs faisaient croire que
des individus s’apprétaient à commettre des
actes de violence au centre ville de Port-au-Prince, pendant la
fin de semaine. En conséquence le Ministre informe qu’il
a passé des instructions aux forces de l’ordre pour
une intervention rapide en vue de maitriser et d’arrêter
tous les fauteurs de trouble. A la question d’un journaliste,
au sujet de la manif des organizations de base de Fanmi Lavalas,
il ajouta avec précaution : ”Cependant, il ne faut
pas confondre les groupes qui ont des revendications justes, avec
des fauteurs de troubles qui ne jurent que par la violence.”
Nous avons également appris que de l’argent a été
distribué pour porter les bandes à pied de la capitale
à se rendre à Saut d’Eau au lieu de rester
à Port-au-Prince pour la fin de semaine. Sur la route de
carrefour, par exemple, plusieurs groupes de camarades qui se
rendaient à pied au Centre-Ville pour rejoindre le point
de rassemblement devant le Théatre National, ont été
contraint par la police de rebrouser chemin, malgré qu’ils
fussent en possession d’une copie de la lettre (avec avis
de réception) notifiant aux autorités la tenue de
la manifestation.
En tout, selon les autorités plus de 2500 soldats de la
MINUSTHA et de policiers Haitiens ont été mobilisés
pour la circonstance. Nous pensons que c’etait beaucoup
plus pour intimider les manifestants que pour les protéger.
A plusieurs reprises tout au long du parcours, des chars blindés
et des camions de transport de troupes de la MINUSTHA, avec des
soldats visiblement en position de tir, firent irruption dans
la foule. Il y eut un mouvemnet de panique qui affecta un peu
une partie de la foule dans le quartier du Bel-Air. Des individus
isolés ont tiré blessant un manifestant et les soldats
de la MINUSTHA ont envoyé des grenades lacrimogènes.
Cela n’a pas ébranlé la foule qui fit fi des
injonctions de la Police, passa devant Perpétuel et continua
sa route, imperturbable, en direction du Palais National. Avant
l’angle des rues Montalais et Pavée, où se
trouvait un barrage, constitué de 2 autobus de la Police
et des policiers de la Compagnie d’Intervention et de Maintien
de l’Ordre (CIMO), la foule bifurqua vers la rue des Miracles
pour éviter ce barrage. Elle s’est retrouvée
face à un autre barrage de policiers (une quinzaine) montés
à bord de 2 Toyota Land Cruiser, à la rue Geffrard,
angle de la rue Pavée, qu’elle n’eut aucun
mal à forcer. Un dernier et pas des moindres, a été
le barrage qui se trouvait devant l’ancien Grand Quartier
Général qui bloquait tout accès pour arriver
devant le Palais National. Au moins 1500 soldats de la Force d’occupation
de l’ONU et policiers Haitiens étaient déployés
dans l’aire du Palais National. Encore une fois, avec sagesse,
avec intelligence, la foule, sans violence et sans le moindre
incident réussit à tromper la vigilance des forces
de l’ordre, à passer et à arriver jusque devant
les grilles du Palais National. Là, un message de circonstance
a été délivré par le Porte-Parole
de la Cellule Roody Pierre-Paul.
“Mision accomplie”, disaient certains.
“Victoire”, criaient d’autres.
“ Men Lavalas-la, Men Lavalas-la. Sa-a se twokèt-la,
Chay la dèyè,” répétaient d’autres,
en chantant et à gorge déployée.
Cette première manche pour la relance de la mobilisation
stoppée depuis le mois de Mai 2005 a été
une véritable réussite avec plus de 700.000 à
800.000 personnes dans les rues.
Les revendications étaient les suivantes:
1- Retour immédiat du Président Aristide,
2- Libération immédiate et sans condition des prisonniers
politiques,
3- Cessation de la répression (reprise par les blancs et
des groupes paramilitaires liés au régime de facto),
dans les quartiers populaires,
4- Levée des mandats d’arrestation illégaux
et revanchards émis par le gouvernement de persécution
nationale Boniface/Latortue, à l’encontre de militants
politiques de Fanmi Lavalas,
5- Réintégration au niveau de la fonction publique,
des employés illégalement révoqués,
6- Arrestation et jugement de ceux qui sont impliqués dans
différents massacres contre la population, assassinats
de policiers, mise à sac et incendie de batiments publics
et de commissariats de Police, avant et après le 29 Février
2004.
Pour ce Grand Jour les manifestants voulaient également
souhaiter BONNE FETE au Président Titid. Beaucoup de pancartes
et de banderoles avec des slogans: BONNE FETE Titid, BON RETOUR
Titid étaient visibles sur tout le long du parcours.
La Presse Nationale et la Presse Internationale ont donné
une très large couverture à cette activité.
Plusieurs Station de Radio de la Capitale ont retransmis en direct
toutes les phases de la Manifestation. Les journalistes Haitiens
se trouvant à Miami, à New-York, à Montréal…etc
n’ont pas cessé d’appeler au téléphone
certains camarades, pour avoir des reportages.
Tous les membres de la Cellule Nationale de Réflexion des
Organisations Populaires: Base Fanmi Lavalas et presque toute
la petite équipe travaillant au renforcement de Fanmi Lavalas,
constituée de la Porte-Parole du President Aristide, Dr
Maryse Narcisse et de plusieurs autres cadres de Fanmi Lavalas
(Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine, Duclot Bénissoit, Euvonie G.
Auguste, Paulette Joseph, Jean Yvon Kernizan, Gladice Delouis
Simon) ont fait le parcours avec les manifestants. Il était
2:45 h p.m. lorsque, au nom de la Cellule, Roody Pierre-Paul mit
fin à la Manif.
Une réunion d’évaluation de cette grande activité
est prévue pour ce Lundi 17 Juillet 2006, et une Conférence
de Presse Bilan sera donnée le Mardi 18 Juillet 2006, au
local de la Fondation Aristide pour la Démocratie à
Tabarre.
Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine
*****************************
The
organizers of a peaceful march are pleased that more than 30,000
people demonstrated to demand the return of the political exiles
and better living conditions in Haiti,
July 17, 2006 (AHP)
******************************
Massacre of Haiti innocents
The shaky peace that has held since February's election was shattered
two days ago by a shanty town bloodbath of men, women and children,
reports Reed Lindsay in Port-au-Prince
Sunday July 16, 2006
The
Observer
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1821479,00.html
The killings began before dawn. Men armed with automatic rifles
walked through the hillside slum of Grand Ravine, warning of a
fire and yelling for residents to come out of their cinder-block
and sheet-metal shacks. Those who obeyed were gunned down.
Several hours later, Haitian morgue workers and UN peacekeepers
from Sri Lanka piled bodies in one of the slum's main thoroughfares,
a rocky stream bed at the bottom of the ravine after which the
neighbourhood is named. The body count totalled 21, including
three women and four children. Most of the victims were killed
with a bullet to the head.
Yves Jean-Philippe, a 56-year-old street vendor, was found in
a dirt courtyard, his eye socket ripped apart by a bullet. Alnosia
Desir, wife of a Christian pastor, was shot in the mouth and throat
in her bedroom. The body of Jean Willerme Sanon, 12, lay face
down on a twisting pathway, his head split in half.
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July 6, 2005
UN Massacre of Haitian civilians in Sitey Soley, including
the murder of Dred Wilme, 1year old Nelson, his mother,
Sonia Romelus, and 4-year brother.
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'What is shocking
is that all victims appear to have been innocents. We're talking
about women and little children - these were no bandits,' said
Jean Gabriel Ambrose, the Port-au-Prince JP whose job is to verify
the names and ages of victims of violent crimes, along with the
cause of death, before the bodies are taken to the morgue.
The massacre was as unexpected as it was gruesome. For several
weeks, rival gangs had exchanged fire in a turf war over control
of the slum. But the massacre that took place last Friday was
so arbitrary - family members, neighbours, human rights observers
and police all agree the victims were not gang members - that
UN and Haitian officials believe it may have been in part an attempt
to destabilise the newly elected government of President Rene
Preval.
'I don't believe it was a spontaneous attack,' said Desmond Molloy,
who heads the UN's disarmament, demobilisation and re-integration
programme in Haiti. 'This massacre creates an atmosphere of fear
and, when people are afraid, it's very hard to establish any degree
of stability.'
The killings in Grand Ravine have shattered five months of relative
peace that had followed Preval's landslide victory on 7 February.
The election marked the first sign of improvement after two years
of severe crisis and violence that followed US Marines whisking
former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide into exile in February
2004.
Preval came to power supported by many members of Haiti's tiny
but powerful elite. The daily firefights between UN peacekeepers
and armed groups loyal to Aristide in the sprawling slum of Cite
Soleil stopped, and a surge in kidnappings that had panicked foreigners
and Haiti's small number of middle and upper classes abated.
In Grand Ravine and the neighbouring slum of Martissant, opposing
gangs made peace during a 19 March football match sponsored by
the UN. But the truce did not last long. 'In recent weeks, we'd
been aware of a heightening of tensions among the gangs along
political and territorial lines,' said Molloy.
On one side was a gang based in Grand Ravine associated with Aristide's
Lavalas party. On the other were two allied gangs in neighbouring
slums, one based in an area called Ti Bwa, while the second was
opposed to Aristide and called the Little Machete Army. The latter
earned its name at another football match in Martissant in August
2005 that ended in bloodshed when police officers began shooting
in the stadium and the machete-wielding gang hacked to death the
fleeing spectators.
Both residents of Grand Ravine and Haitian government officials
blame the Little Machete Army and the Ti Bwa gang for the massacre
last Friday. What remains a mystery is what provoked these gangs
to murder more than 20 innocent people.
Haitian police chief Mario Andresol suspects the attack is related
to the killings at last year's football match, which appeared
to be a joint effort by the Little Machete Army, backed by rogue
police officers, to eliminate the Grand Ravine gang. Andresol
arrested 15 police officers for their alleged participation in
the stadium killings, but the judge handling the case has since
released most of them, including two senior officers, Renan Etienne
and Carlo Lochard.
Some residents of Grand Ravine accuse Lochard of reuniting with
the Machete Army since his release. 'The same police officers
who made the alliance with the Machete Army are the ones who helped
commit the massacre,' said Joseph Albert, an unemployed resident
of Grand Ravine. 'Lochard has given them guns and money.'
Andresol was confirmed by the senate to continue his term as police
chief the day before the massacre occurred, leading some observers
to speculate that the killings represented a warning to him.
Since the massacre, Sri Lankan peacekeepers have so far managed
to ward off more violence. But dozens, perhaps hundreds, of the
area's poor residents have fled anyway.
The UN and Haitian police have launched an investigation into
the massacre, but hopes of identifying those who pulled the trigger,
not to mention those who provided the guns, remain dim.
'This is my 13th conflict, and it's been the toughest one to find
out what's really going on,' said Molloy, a former Irish army
officer who headed the UN's disarmament programme in Sierra Leone
before coming to Haiti in 2004. 'It's very difficult to nail down
the motives behind actions in Haiti and there's often a mix of
political, economic and territorial motives at play.'
******************************
***************
Haitian
Children Put in Chains by the Whites
(Listen
to Kreyol Audio)
***********************
***********************
Gang
killings may be political
By Reed Lindsay THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published July 14, 2006
***********************
AUMOHD's
Preliminary Report on July 7, 2006 Gran Ravine Massacre
***********************
“Daddy, its goats or pigs that I have seen cut up before.
How come they are cutting
up people now?" (Horrified exclamation of a traumatized young
Haitian boy watching
the Grand Ravine Massacre on Sunday, August 21, 2005) Ezili
Danto report on Aug.
Grand Ravine slaughter at USAID-sponsored soccer match Ezili Danto
Project | August 25, 2005
AUMOHD/ RAPPORT PRELIMINAIRE SUR
LE MASSACRE
DE GRAND RAVINE
ASSOCIATION DES UNIVERSITAIRES MOTIVES
POUR UNE HAITI DE DROIT
AUMOHD DWA MOUN
4, Delmas 47 et Rue BOUKMAN
Phone : (509) 2133089 / 424 33 34
Email : aumohddwamoun@yahoo.fr
**********************************************
AUMOHD's
Preliminary Report on July 7, 2006 Gran Ravine Massacre
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