Haiti: Security Vacuum in the North

[seemslikeadream]

Numerous Journalists and Government Officials in Hiding

The Kosovo Army consists of approximately 35 mostly young men from the town of Trou du Nord, assisted by about 14 former members of the Haitian military. The group claimed a loose cooperative relationship with the Armed Forces of the North, the rebel force led by Guy Philippe, but said that they weren’t directly under Philippe’s command.

In Cap Haïtien, the rebel forces had 16 prisoners in their custody as of Saturday. Among the prisoners that Human Rights Watch saw that day were former deputy Gabriel Ducatel, of the ESCAMP party, who represented the Borgne and Port-Margot district, and Augustin Joseph, an employee of the radio station Peasant Voice of Milo (Radio voix paysanne Milot).

The Human Rights Watch representatives also heard credible testimonies describing situations of great insecurity in the northern towns of Fort Liberté and St. Rafael.

Human Rights Watch also interviewed a number of radio journalists in Cap Haïtien, including journalists with Radio Nationale, who had gone into hiding. They described the lack of security and their resulting fears for their safety. These journalists gave Human Rights Watch the names of another dozen journalists who were said to be in hiding too.

The vast majority of political representatives from the Lavalas party are also in hiding: nearly all of the local mayors, CASEKs (a local post), and municipal officials linked to the party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/03/22/haiti8149_txt.htm

[Bandit]

1. A real Democracy in the making ~ USA style.

This is totally sickening.