HAITI: ARMED REBELS SAY THEY ARE IN CONTROL OF ISLAND'S FOURTH LARGEST CITY OF GONAIVES

Record ID: 648675

  • Title: HAITI: ARMED REBELS SAY THEY ARE IN CONTROL OF ISLAND'S FOURTH LARGEST CITY OF GONAIVES
  • Date: 5th February 2004
  • Summary: (U7) GONAIVES, HAITI (FEBRUARY 05, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. STREET SCENES IN GONAIVES WITH BODY BURNING 0.04 2. CU: WOMAN REACTING TO SCENE 0.07 3. BODY BURNING 0.09 4. PEOPLE WATCHING 0.12 5. POLICE STATION THAT WAS ATTACKED 0.17 6. VARIOUS OF DESTROYED STATION; PEOPLE WALKING IN STATION; ANOTHER BURNT BODY ON GROUND (9 SHOTS) 0.43 7. ARMED MEMBER OF FRONT DU RESISTANCE DE LA ARTIBONNITE WALKING IN STREET 0.50 8. GAS STATION ON FIRE (2 SHOTS) 0.58 9. RED CROSS AMBULANCE 1.04 10. INTERIOR RED CROSS PARAMEDICS 1.08 11. WOUNDED NAKED BOY ON STRETCHER 1.11 12. MAN WITH HIS WIFE 1.14 13. CU: WOUNDED HAND 1.17 14. SCU: INJURED CHILD 1.23 15. (SOUNDBITE) (French) RED CROSS DIRECTOR IN GONAIVES RAOUL ELISEE, SAYING: "We have 22 people injured, 7 or 8 dead-- 3 police officers and 4 civilians." 1.33 16. PAN: TRUCK WITH REBEL ON TOP HOLDING RIFLE 1.43 17. BUTER METAYER, LEADER OF FRONT DU RESISTANCE DE LA ARTIBONNITE DANCING AROUND 1.47 18. ARMED CHILD WITH FAKE ARM SAYING IN CREOLE "WITH THIS WEAPON I WILL KILL ARISTIDE" 1.56 19. VARIOUS OF REBELS MARCHING IN STREETS OF GONAIVE (3 SHOTS) 2.12 20. (SOUNDBITE) (Creole) LEADER OF FRONT DU RESISTANCE DE LA ARTIBONNITE BUTER METAYER, SAYING: "We are saying clearly to the national and international community that after Aristide leaves power, we will abandon our weapons." 2.22 21. WIDE REBELS MARCHING WITH ARMS 2.30 PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI (FEBRUARY 6, 2004) (REUTERS) 22. WIDE OF STUDENTS MARCHING 2.38 23. POLICE WATCHING THE MARCH 2.46 24. CLOSE OF PROTESTER CHANTING AGAINST ARISTIDE 2.51 25. VARIOUS OF POLICE WATCHING THE MARCH 2.59 26. SHOOTING AT THE MARCH 3.05 27. ARMED POLICE RUNNING DOWN STREET TOWARDS DIRECTION OF SHOOTING 3.14 28. WIDE PROTESTERS 3.19 Initials EDITORS PLEASE NOTE SOME SHOTS ARE DISTURBING Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th February 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GONAIVES AND PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI
  • Country: Haiti
  • Reuters ID: LVA9Y7M5Q1UBT46P7TBKRTJBCNNG
  • Story Text: An armed group of Haitian rebels sets fire to the prison
    and mayor's house in Haiti's fourth largest city.


    Rebels in Haiti are claiming they are in control of
    the country's fourth-largest city of Gonaives on Friday
    (February 6) while critics of President Jean-Bertrande
    Aristide march in the capital city of Port-au-Prince
    demanding his resignation.

    In the northern city of Gonaives, armed anti-Aristide
    forces clashed with police on Thursday (February 5) and
    said they would only hand over their arms if Aristide
    stepped down. Former members of the once pro-Aristide
    Cannibal Army militia attacked a police station freeing the
    prisoners and setting both the station and the mayor's
    residence on fire.

    Government spokesman Mario Dupuy said the authorities
    intended to re-establish order in Gonaives, which has been
    the site of violence over the past few months.

    Up to five bystanders and three police officers were
    killed in the ensuing shootout. The Haitian National Police
    officers fled.

    "We are saying clearly to the national and
    international community," said a leader of the Front Du
    Resistance de la Artibonnite (Cannibal Army) Buter Metayer,
    "that after Aristide leaves power, we will abandon our
    weapons."
    He said the rebels intended to move on to other cities
    in the north, including Cap-Haitien, Haiti's second-largest
    city.

    The extent of the group's control over Gonaives was not
    clear.

    The gunmen once belonged to the Cannibal Army, which
    had supported Aristide but turned against him when its
    leader, Amiot Metayer, was killed in September.

    Aristide, a former Roman Catholic priest now serving
    his second term as president, has come under increasing
    pressure to resign. Opposition groups accuse him of
    corruption and human rights violations.

    Aristide, who was ousted by a military coup during his
    first term but restored to power in a U.S.-led invasion,
    has said he will serve out his new term, which ends in
    2006.


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