HAITI: EX-REBELS HOLD HAITIAN TOWN AND DEMAND NEW ARMY IN A BID TO WIN THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE

Record ID: 646575

  • Title: HAITI: EX-REBELS HOLD HAITIAN TOWN AND DEMAND NEW ARMY IN A BID TO WIN THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE
  • Date: 31st August 2004
  • Summary: (EU) PETIT GOAVE, HAITI (AUGUST 31, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) QUALITY AS INCOMING AND FRAMED FORMAT 1. SLV ENTRANCE TO PETIT-GOAVE 0.01 2. SLV FORMER SOLDIERS FROM HAITI'S DISBANDED ARMY WALK OUT OF FORMER POLICE STATION (THAT THEY PAINTED YELLOW, THE COLOR OF OLD ARMY BARRACKS COVERING TRADITIONAL POLICE BLUE AND WHITE COLORS) 0.06 3. SLV FORMER SOLDIERS ON PATROL IN STREETS 0.11 4. SV FORMER SOLDIER WITH M-14 GUNS AND GRENADES WALKING DOWN STREET 0.20 5. SV FORMER REBEL COMMANDER AND EX-HAITIAN ARMY CAPTAIN REMISSAINTHE RAVIX PUTTING A SWORD FROM THE FORMER HAITIAN GUARD IN ITS SHEATH AND SAYING: "WHEN I DIE, THEY CAN PUT THIS IN MY COFFIN." 0.24 6. MCU (Creole) FORMER REBEL COMMANDER AND EX-HAITIAN ARMY CAPTAIN REMISSAINTHE RAVIX SAYING: "If you see us here today, it's the population giving us food, taking care of us, and if you go upstairs you'll see they are starting to repaint our new army headquarters, they are putting in modern toilets. The population is doing that." 0.36 7. SV PEOPLE CHEERING: "LONG LIVE THE HAITIAN ARMY!" 0.40 8. CU EX-SOLDIER IN A FORMER POLICE RIOT HELMET 0.44 9. SLV MAN PAINTING YELLOW OVER FORMER WHITE AND BLUE WALLS 0.48 10. SLV MEN PAINTING YELLOW OVER FORMER WHITE AND BLUE WALLS 0.52 11. MCU (Creole) PETIT-GOAVE RESIDENT, MARIE-CARMEL DERONCERAY, SAYING: "The government doesn't want to see the army? For ten years they have been put on the side. President Aristide got rid of them. If they were going to turn into terrorists, don't you think they would have killed all the police by now? They want to work together with the Haitian National Police, because the police force is also in the Constitution. They should work together, the police with the army. Without the army, there won't be any country, there won't be democracy, there won't be elections!" 1.18 12. SV PEOPLE SINGING 1.28 13. MCU (Creole) RAVIX SAYING: "We say, from this day forward, the Army is here to provide security for the entire country and to stop all crimes." 1.36 14. SV PEOPLE CHEERING: "LONG LIVE THE ARMY!" 1.40 15. SLV/MCU OF FORMER SOLDIERS MARCHING IN FORMATION (3 SHOTS) 1.54 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 15th September 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PETIT GOAVE, HAITI
  • Country: Haiti
  • Reuters ID: LVACZJ7AK6RX83RHVCUD6PALIHRZ
  • Story Text: Ex-rebels hold Haitian town and demand new army in a
    bid to win the confidence of the people.



    +++ EDITORS PLEASE NOTE QUALITY AS INCOMING +++


    Former soldiers who helped overthrow Haiti's
    government patrolled the streets on Tuesday (August 31) of
    a town they took over to back demands for a new Haitian Army.

    The ex-soldiers, who formed the backbone of a rebel
    force that drove then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide into
    exile on February 29, chased police from the southern town
    of Petit Goave on Saturday. In camouflage military
    uniforms, they spread into the streets on Tuesday trying to
    win the confidence of the people.

    The takeover of Petit Goave, about 35 miles (56 km)
    southeast of the capital, bore echoes of the revolt against
    Aristide early this year, when rebels took over one town
    after another in northern Haiti.

    It illustrated the unrest still dogging the Caribbean
    country, the poorest in the Americas, under the interim government
    that took over from him and despite the presence
    of a Brazilian-led U.N. peacekeeping mission.

    Haiti's interim prime minister, Gerard Latortue, sent a
    delegation to negotiate with the ex-rebels. But the
    officials were turned away by rock-throwing supporters of
    the soldiers.

    Rebel leaders had warned Latortue weeks ago to expect
    trouble if his government did not reinstate Haiti's army,
    which was disbanded by Aristide in the mid-1990s. The
    ex-soldiers also say the government owes them 10 years of
    back pay.

    Petit-Goave resident, Marie-Carmel Deronceray, announced
    her support for the army saying, "The government doesn't
    want to see the army? For ten years they have been put on
    the side. President Aristide got rid of them. If they
    were going to turn into terrorists, don't you think they
    would have killed all the police by now? They want to work
    together with the Haitian National Police, because the
    police force is also in the Constitution. They should work
    together, the police with the army. Without the army,
    there won't be any country, there won't be democracy, there
    won't be elections!"
    Many other residents of Petit Goave also seemed to
    welcome the former soldiers, shouting "down with the
    police, long live the army," as they attacked the
    government delegation.

    The leader of the former soldiers, Remissainthe Ravix,
    said he is prepared to send a delegation to negotiate with
    the government but his men would not compromise on issues
    such recreating the army and paying back salaries.

    "We say, from this day forward, the Army is here to
    provide security for the entire country and to stop all
    crimes," Ravix said.

    Some Aristide supporters have fled Petit Goave in fear
    for their lives after the rebel takeover.




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