Haiti Report for June 29, 2005


IN THIS REPORT:
- American Consulate Reduces Personnel; Airlines Complain about
Insecurity
- The International Red Cross will Resume Activities in Cite Soleil
- US House Okays Rep. Lee Amendment to Block Weapons to Haiti
- Head of UN Peacekeeping Says Parts of Haiti are Worse than Darfur
- Arrest in Relation to Kidnappings; New Kidnapping
- Dread Wilme Allegedly Wounded by MINUSTAH
- Elections
- UN Mission Extended and Expanded
- Inter-American Development Bank Approves Loan
- Canadian Government Issues New Travel Warning
- Three Cabinet Members Replaced
- Filipino Military Personnel to Haiti
- Inter-American Commission on Human Rights deplores escalating violence
- Spanish Troops to be Withdrawn Because Aid Hasn’t Arrived
- UN Special Envoy Calls for Release of Former Prime Minister Neptune
- Top US Diplomat Accuses Aristide of Personally Stirring Violence

American Consulate Reduces Personnel; Airlines Complain about
Insecurity:
The American consulate has reduced its personnel in Haiti once again.
This decision occurs following the lynching of one of its employees in
a district of Port-with-Prince. Sources close to the embassy confirm
that there is no relation between these two events. At the same time,
the airlines are complaining that they are not making a good profits on
people coming from abroad because passengers are deferring their visits
until the holidays, or are choosing another destination. Airlines are
complaining that they are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars..
According to sources, they may take serious decisions if nothing is
done to end the insecurity in Haiti. Many Haitian families have already
left the country because of the climate of violence and insecurity.
Many private schools may be without teachers for the next academic year
for the same reason. (AHP, 6/28)

The International Red Cross will Resume Activities in Cite Soleil:
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced Tuesday
that is will resume its activities in the popular district of Cite
Soleil. The institution closed its doors three weeks ago after two
volunteers for the Haitian Red Cross were wounded by bullets in Cite
Soleil. Walde Saugeron, a spokesperson for ICRC, explained that the
institution decided to restarts activities following meetings with all
the sectors concerned, particularly the Haitian police force, the
MINUSTAH and also for the groups armed in Cite Soleil. According to
Mr. Saugeron, it is essential that the activities of the Red Cross
begin again in Cite Soleil because there is no one else who comes to
the aid of this population, especially when there are casualties. (AHP,
6/28)

US House Okays Rep. Lee Amendment to Block Weapons to Haiti:
The U.S. government would be barred from giving weapons to Haiti under
an amendment offered by Rep. Barbara Lee and approved by the House on a
voice vote Tuesday night. "The Haitian National Police are
intimidating, murdering and executing the poor and political opposition
with weapons transferred free of charge from the United States to the
government of Haiti, and this is simply unacceptable," said Lee,
D-Oakland. Lee's amendment to the foreign operations appropriations
bill, which still needs Senate approval, would stop the State
Department from giving excess arms and ammunition free of charge to the
Haitian National Police force. As many as 3,000 weapons have been
transferred to Haiti since last year. The United Nations and Amnesty
International have expressed concern about Haitian police involvement
in political violence and human rights. (Oakland Tribune, 6/29)

Head of UN Peacekeeping Says Parts of Haiti are Worse than Darfur:
The head of U.N. peacekeeping operations says conditions in parts of
Haiti are worse than in Sudan's devastated Darfur region. The official
expressed concern that even a newly strengthened peacekeeping force may
be unable to provide security for upcoming elections in Haiti's lawless
regions. Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno
says Haiti is at the tipping point. With less than 100 days to go
before elections begin, it is an open question whether Haitians can
break the long cycle of violence and political failure that has left
their country the poorest in the western hemisphere.

"One has to recognize it's no quick fix in Haiti. At the moment, the
police is broken, they have no resources, no electricity, no phones, no
nothing, often no uniforms, cars, the judiciary is weak. So long as you
don't have an effective law and order structure that is trusted by
people, seen as fair, impartial, has basic means to deliver law and
order, you need an international presence there. You don't create a
police and rebuild a judiciary in a few months," he said.

Mr. Guehenno added that the plight of Haitians may be even worse than
that of the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Sudan's Darfur
region, considered the world's worst humanitarian disaster. "A month
ago I was in Darfur, and God knows the situation of the IDPs there is
tragic, but at least, thanks to the mobilization of the international
community, you see IDPs in camps in al Fasher or cities in Darfur, they
have medical facilities, there is drinking water, there are latrines.
It's a terrible situation, but some of the basics are being provided by
the international community. The Haitians in Cap Haitien, this is a
quiet place, they have no drinking water, no latrines, garbage not
collected, situation is squalor, its terrible. They are in [a] worse
situation than some of the IDPs I saw in Darfur," he noted.

"The troops will never enforce peace if the people are not at peace
with themselves,” he explained. “If in the elections the Haitians
demonstrate they are prepared to focus on the real problems of the
country, then our presence even in limited numbers can really help
provide that political space. If we see a very polarized situation, I'm
worried that the troops won't be enough.” (Voice of America, 6/28)

Arrest in Relation to Kidnappings; New Kidnapping:
Soldiers of the MINUSTAH took into custody Jerry Narcius for his
supposed implication in acts of kidnapping. According to various
sources, the individual comes from a great Haitian family, contrary to
the propaganda that all the kidnappers come from the poplar
neighborhoods. Persons in charge of the MINUSTAH rejected rumors
indicating that Jerry Narcius works for the U.N. mission. Police
refused to comment. However, certain police officers said the police
force was going to question Jerry Narcius on his possible bonds with
networks of kidnapping. Simultaneously a new case of kidnapping was
reported in the last 24 hours. The owner of the Hotel el Rancho, Gladys
Sylvéra was removed Thursday evening. A person in charge of an
organization working in the field of the AIDS was kidnapped this
Friday. In these two cases, the kidnappers demanded large ransoms.
(AHP, 6/24)

Dread Wilme Allegedly Wounded by MINUSTAH:
Grassroots militants of Fanmi Lavalas confirmed that Cite Soleil gang
leader Dread Wilmé was seriously wounded. He was wounded by bullets
during an operation carried out Wednesday by soldiers of the MINUSTAH
in this popular district. The spokesman of the militants of Cite
Soleil, Rene Monplaisir, said that Dread Wilmé has been moved to a
provincial town. According to Rene Monplaisir, approximately 20 people
killed and 40 others wounded by U.N. soldiers at the time of their last
interventions in the Cite. He denounced what he calls a plan of the
temporary government aiming to physically eliminate the inhabitants of
the popular districts because they pose an obstacle to elections
scheduled later this year. (AHP, 6/24)

Elections:
The spokesperson for the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) stated
that certain improvements have been made over the last few weeks.
However, Patrick Féquière reaffirmed that the CEP will not be able to
register the 4.5 million eligible voters before the deadline of July
31. Between 7-800,000 potential voters would be left out of the
elections even if all the CEP’s computers were functioning properly. At
the same time, the outgoing military commander of the MINUSTAH, the
General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro, declared at the agency Agencia Brasil
that the increase in violence with Port-au-Prince, could compromise the
elections planned for the end of this year. (AHP, 6/20)

UN Mission Extended and Expanded:
The United Nations Security Council today extended the mandate of its
peacekeeping mission in Haiti for a further eight months and added more
than 1,000 personnel, bringing it to as many as nearly 9,400 in the
run-up to a newly elected government's inauguration next February. In a
unanimously approved resolution the Council said it decided to extend
the mandate of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) until
15 February of next year, with the intention to renew it for further
periods.

In response to Secretary-General Kofi Annan's recommendations, it would
also add, during the electoral period and subsequent changeover from
the current Transitional Government, 750 troops for a rapid reaction
force, 50 military personnel to create a sector headquarters in the
capital, Port-au-Prince, and 275 civilian police (CivPol) to increase
security. "For a temporary period MINUSTAH will consist of a military
component of up to 7,500 troops of all ranks and of up to 1,897
Civilian Police," the Council said.

Meanwhile, UN Under-Secretary-General Jean-Marie Guéhenno, who heads
the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), arrived in
Port-au-Prince on a five-day fact-finding trip which will also take him
to Gonaïves and Cap-Haïtien, MINUSTAH spokesman Damian Onsés Cardona
said. (UN Daily News, 6/22)

"The new mandate gives us more possibilities for improving the security
in Haiti," Mr. Guéhenno told staff members at the Departmental
Electoral Centre in Cap Haïtien, Haiti's second largest city, where the
staff described their experiences registering northern voters for the
elections later this year. Mr. Guéhenno, along with Mr. Valdés, visited
the Chilean contingent of MINUSTAH in Cap Haïtien for a briefing on the
contingent's accomplishments and challenges in providing a safe and
secure environment in their area of responsibility, especially in
preparation for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR)
exercise and the elections. (UN Daily News, 6/27)

Inter-American Development Bank Approves Loan:
The Inter-American Development Bank today announced the approval of a
$5 million soft loan to Haiti to strengthen public sector institutions
in charge of revenue collection, budget formulation and execution and
government procurement. The goal is to reinforce Haiti’s capacity to
launch key reforms to improve economic governance, said IDB project
team leader Roberto Camblor. “By improving the efficacy of its budget,
revenue and spending control systems, the Haitian government will avoid
losses and have more resources to invest in poverty reduction.

The new loan is for 40 years, with a 10-year grace period and an annual
interest of 1 percent during the first decade and 2 percent thereafter.
Local counterpart funds will total $45,000. The IDB has the largest
portfolio of loans in execution in Haiti, with some $330 million to
finance economic and social development projects. Besides the public
finances reforms, the IDB is supporting programs in priority sectors
such as transportation, agriculture, health, basic education and job
training, water and sanitation, local development and small productive
projects across the country. Other loans under preparation totaling
around $250 million will finance projects involving rural development,
rural roads, environmental management and flood warning systems, urban
center upgrading, access to credit for small and medium-size
enterprises and deepening economic governance reforms. (IDB, 6/21)

Canadian Government Issues New Travel Warning:
The Canadian government issued a warning against travel to Haiti on
Tuesday, citing a deteriorating security situation. It recommended that
Canadians not travel to Haiti unless they have compelling business or
family reasons. Ottawa also said that all Canadians already in the
Caribbean country should take measures to ensure their safety.
(Reuters, 6/21)

Three Cabinet Members Replaced:
Haitis interim leader replaced three Cabinet members amid mounting
frustration over surging gang violence aimed at destabilizing the
nation ahead of elections later this year. Justice Minister Bernard
Gousse, who submitted his resignation last week, will be replaced by
law professor Henri Marge Dorlean, Interim Prime Minister Gerard
Latortue said Wednesday during a ceremony at the National Palace that
was interrupted by gunfire from a nearby slum.

Latortue also replaced Interior Minister George Moise with Paul Gustav,
the prime minister's aide. Social Affairs Minister Pierre Paul Calixte
will be replaced by Franck Charles, Latortue said. He gave no details
on Charles' background. Latortue gave no explanation for the Cabinet
shuffle. But he said he was confident Gousse's replacement would
advance efforts to reform a crumbling judicial system that has left
most of the country's prisoners in jail for years without charge.
Dorlean "is capable of reforming the justice system, especially
regarding all the people who have been in jail for so long," Latortue
said. "He will be able to give Haitian justice a new image. Right now,
many people's image of the justice system is bad, very negative." (AP,
6/22)

Filipino Military Personnel to Haiti:
Three hundred Filipino military personnel will start from Sunday to fly
to Haiti and Liberia to replace existing peacekeeping contingents in
the two strife-torn nations, the military said Friday. Military
information office chief Lt. Col. Buenaventura Pascual said in a
statement that the new batch of Philippine contingent to Haiti will
consist of 145 personnel while the group headed for Liberia will be
composed of 155 soldiers. "The deployment to these countries will end
with the expected arrival of the last remaining troops from Haiti on
July 10, 2005," said Pascual. (Xinhua via COMTEX, 6/24)

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights deplores escalating violence:
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) wishes to express
its grave concern over the escalating violence in the Republic of Haiti
in recent months, which continues to claim lives on a daily basis and
has nearly paralyzed the regular activities of Haitians, particularly
those living in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The Commission has been
informed of numerous serious incidents of violence, many of which have
been perpetrated in the context of confrontations between illegal armed
gangs and members of the Haitian National Police and which have claimed
the lives of numerous civilians caught in the cross-fire. In recent
months, the Haitian capital has also been gripped by a wave of violent
incidents, and in particular, kidnappings, attacks on members of the
transitional government, members of the business community, members of
the Haitian National Police, and many others. The multiple kidnappings
perpetrated in a day, the generalized nature of these incidents, and
the new phenomenon of targeting children for abduction are all signs of
how this wave of violence has taken on a new degree of severity.

The Commission condemns these acts of violence. While the Commission
notes that some efforts are being made to assume greater control over
the situation, such as the creation of a special unit within the HNP to
investigate kidnappings and the launching of a crime hotline by the UN
Stabilization Force's civilian police component, the Commission
considers that the current state of insecurity must be confronted more
decisively by the government, in collaboration with the international
community. As the Commission has previously observed, this ultimately
requires the rigorous implementation of a comprehensive security and
disarmament plan and urgent measures to enhance the capacity of the
Haitian National Police. Without immediate and decisive measures to
contain the violence, the Commission is concerned that the fall
elections so vital to the country's stability and progress will be
jeopardized. In this regard, the Commission is encouraged by the recent
decision taken by the U.N. Security Council in its Resolution 1608
(2005) to increase the number of military troops and civilian police.

The Commission also remains concerned about reports of arbitrary
arrests and detentions as well as the rate of prolonged pre-trial
detention in the country. In this connection, the Commission reiterates
its concern over the prolonged delay by the Haitian justice system to
conduct a timely investigation into the case of Mr. Yvon Neptune, as
well as to determine the legality of his arrest and detention. The
Commission emphasizes the prohibition against arbitrary arrests and
detentions enshrined in Article 7 of the American Convention, and
reiterates the State's obligation to ensure that its efforts to
investigate and prosecute crimes are undertaken through demonstrably
fair and effective procedures that conform to international standards
of due process. The Commission will continue to closely monitor events
in Haiti and to provide assistance within its mandate in overcoming the
challenges facing Haiti and its people. (OAS, 6/23)

Spanish Troops to be Withdrawn Because Aid Hasn't Arrived:
Spanish Defense Minister Jose Bono reiterated Wednesday that he would
withdraw Spanish troops from Haiti by the end of this year or early
2006 because the promised international aid has failed to arrive.
Speaking before the Defense Commission of the Congress, Bono said there
is more solidarity from the military than from the governments of those
countries which promised donations that do not arrive. He said only 300
million US dollars out of 700 million pledged to support stabilization
efforts have reached Haiti. Bono last threatened to pull out Spanish
troops on May 4, when he said at the United Nations that Spain would
withdraw its troops from Haiti by the end of this year, unless the
promised aid is honored by the donor countries. Currently there are 200
Spanish marines involved in the UN Mission for the Stabilization of
Haiti. (Xinhua via COMTEX, 6/22)

UN Special Envoy Calls for Release of Former Prime Minister Neptune:
June 23 (Reuters) - The U.N. special envoy to Haiti called on Haitian
authorities on Thursday to release former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune,
jailed a year ago on accusations he masterminded a massacre in February
2004. Neptune, who was charged in May, has rejected the accusations,
which he says were politically motivated, and has reportedly refused
food since mid-April to protest his detention. U.N. envoy Juan Gabriel
Valdes criticized the way the judicial system had handled Neptune's
case and suggested the former prime minister could be freed while the
case was prosecuted. "Our appreciation of the legal system and the
procedures followed indicate to us that it would be perfectly possible
to release Mr. Neptune from prison even if his case continued to be
processed," Valdes told reporters. (Reuters, 6/23)

Top US Diplomat Accuses Aristide of Personally Stirring Violence:
A top U.S. diplomat Thursday accused former Haitian President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide of personally stirring the violence there and
said Washington has expressed its concerns to South Africa, where he is
living in exile. ''We believe that his people are receiving
instructions directly from his voice and indirectly through his
acolytes that communicate with him personally in South Africa,'' said
Roger Noriega, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere
affairs.

''As a longtime observer of Haiti and a longtime consumer of
information about Haiti, it is abundantly clear to me . . . that
Aristide and his camp are singularly responsible for most of the
violence and for the concerted nature of the violence,'' Noriega told
The Herald. His statement was the strongest so far blaming Aristide for
the violence that has rocked the country since his ouster early last
year amid an armed uprising. In the past, Washington has blamed the
violence more generally on Aristide's Lavalas Family Party.

''A few hundred principal bad guys'' are behind the violence, Noriega
said in a telephone interview. He made a quick visit to Haiti two weeks
ago for a close-up look at the political and security situation. Asked
if the U.S. government had expressed its concerns to South African
officials, Noriega said, ``We have had the diplomatic contacts that you
would expect us to have with the key actors, explaining that Aristide's
role is not a helpful one.'' A South African government spokesman in
Pretoria declined to comment.

Noriega also urged the U.N. peacekeeping force, known as MINUSTAH, to
take a more ''proactive role'' in going after the armed pro-Aristide
gangs. He said the gangs were not many in numbers but were
strategically based in slums near the airport road and commercial
districts, allowing them to damage the Haitian economy. He said there
also were some ''opportunistic criminal organizations'' that engaged in
kidnappings and other crimes, but that it was ``also extraordinarily
apparent that Aristide and his gangs are playing a central role in
generating violence, and trying to sow insecurity.''

Noriega said Aristide had a 15-year ''pattern'' of using political
violence and that it was not surprising that he was making ``this one
last stand to terrorize the Haitian people and deny them good
government.'' He praised the U.N. decision to extend and expand the
mission, but added that the success or failure of MINUSTAH ``depends on
what they do in the next days and weeks.'' Asked if there was a
resurgence in drug trafficking through Haiti because of lack of
security, Noriega said, ''I don't know that we can say that it's gotten
appreciably worse'' but that there was a sense that drug traffickers
were trying to set a stronger foothold in Haiti. (Miami Herald, 6/24)