Haiti

(Quelle: Reliefweb) Les royaumes du Maroc et d’Espagne, qui ont achevé la semaine dernière leur retrait militaire d’Haïti, ont annoncé jeudi à Rabat leur participation conjointe à la composante policière de la Mission des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en Haiti (MINUSTAH), selon un communiqué du ministère marocain des affaires étrangères et de la coopération rapporté par l’agence Magrheb Arabe Presse (MAP).

(Quelle: Reliefweb) L'arrestation d'un membre de 'l'Armée Cannibale' a provoqué la mobilisation armée des siens ; ils menacent de s'attaquer au commissariat de la ville et aux casques bleus. La situation était extrêmement tendue jeudi aux Gonaïves (nord d'Haïti) où des membres de l'organisation armée dénommée 'Armée Cannibale' manifestaient violemment contre la détention d'un des leurs, Billy ainsi connu, déporté des Etats-Unis il y a quelque temps. Des agents de la Mission des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en Haïti (MINUSTAH) avaient procédé la semaine dernière à l'arrestation de cet homme pour possession illégale d'armes à feu.

(Quelle: New York Times) After two days of meetings with Caribbean leaders, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeared to have cooled some of their anger toward the United States but failed to persuade them to embrace the new government in Haiti, United States officials said Wednesday. One goal of her visit here was to persuade the other Caribbean nations to take forceful steps to help the new Haitian government stabilize the country and deal with its crushing problems. What she got was a commitment to readmit Haiti to the Caribbean Community of nations and a vague promise to help Haiti in the future.

(Quelle: Reliefweb) Visiting Haitian president-elect Rene Preval urged Tuesday that UN forces be kept on in his troubled Caribbean nation. 'We explained to the Argentine president the need to increase the size of and extend the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti,' Preval, who was wrapping up a Latin American tour, told reporters after meeting with President Nestor Kirchner. … Preval said he hoped the UN force, known as MINUSTAH, could gradually be turned into a cooperation mission.

(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) Haitian President-elect Rene Preval said in Brasilia on Friday there was more optimism and security in Haiti after the Feb. 7 presidential election, but the country's police and judiciary were still weak and it would be irresponsible to withdraw U.N. forces. '(Preval) told me the troops there should only leave when he manages to set up the police because you can't have a vacuum,' Lula said.

(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) Haiti's electoral authorities on Saturday brought forward slightly the date for runoff elections to pick senators and legislators. Originally due to take place on March 19 and then rescheduled for April 23, the second-round vote will now take place on April 21, a Friday, ostensibly to allow officials the weekend to prepare for classes on Monday the schools that will be used as voting centers.

(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) A group of former soldiers threatened on Monday to stage violent protests to force Haiti's government to come up with years of back pay they say they are owed. The threat was emblematic of some of the many challenges facing President-elect Rene Preval, who was declared winner of a chaotic election in Haiti last month and will soon lead an impoverished nation awash in firearms where the rich and poor are divided by hatred.

(Quelle: ISN) Haiti’s electoral commission announced on Friday that the second round of parliamentary elections set for 19 March would be delayed because of complaints from the first round. … A new date for general elections has not been set, but has said that preparations will take at least three weeks. The election commission is blaming the delay in part on demonstrations that took place during vote-counting for the first round, when Preval supporters accused the commission of manipulating the results to keep him from winning an outright victory in the first round.

(Quelle: Reliefweb) The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti said Thursday the security situation in Port-au-Prince had improved due to help from police, and noted a sharp drop in crimes and kidnappings. … Damian Onses-Cardona, spokesman for the United Nations force known as MINUSTAH … said the capital's security had already been strengthened before the February 7 general elections, particularly by the presence of UN forces in the streets of the violence-prone capital.

(Quelle: BBC) Haiti's President-elect Rene Preval has said the constitution permits the return of ex-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, now in exile in South Africa. He was speaking after Mr Aristide said he intended to return to his country as soon as possible. The ousted leader said his supporters had voted for his return by electing Mr Preval, his former ally. But the US state department said Mr Aristide's return would serve no useful purpose and could destabilise Haiti.