Ousted Haitian president launches 'abduction' suit

Haiti's ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has lodged a lawsuit in Paris claiming coercion involving United States and French officials forced him from power, his lawyer and legal authorities said.

The suit, for "threats, death threats, abduction and illegal detention" was lodged earlier this week, Aristide's lawyer, Gilbert Collard said. It designates the defendant as "X" - a French legal term for persons unknown - but specifically makes mention of the French and US ambassadors in Haiti, Thierry Burkard and James Foley, as well as a French writer, Regis Debray, and the sister of French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, Veronique Albanel, in the deposition.

The latter two figures were special French envoys sent to Haiti last year to discuss ways to calm roiling political tensions in the country stemming from 2000 legislative elections widely seen as fraudulent.

Mr Aristide was flown out of Haiti to Africa on February 29 after a three-week insurgency by armed rebels, who included previous coup plotters and death-squad leaders, who steadily advanced across the impoverished Caribbean state.

US forces escorted the former president from his official residence and provided the aircraft that carried him out of the country, while France, Haiti's former colonial ruler, has played a key role in setting up an interim government after Mr Aristide's departure. The former leader has repeatedly said he was threatened and made to leave by US and French agents. He is currently staying in nearby Jamaica despite arrangements for him to take up temporary exile in Nigeria.

Mr Collard said: "We have received a mandate from Mr Aristide and the US lawyer taking care of his interests, Mr Ira Kurzban, to lodge a lawsuit against any person who may be held responsible for abduction."

He added that "at the very least, France, which supported this abduction, has made itself an accomplice". He said that witness accounts, video footage and photographs would be included in the case to be taken to court.

Mr Collard said Mr Aristide's US lawyers were to engage a similar action in the US, but did not elaborate.

France's foreign ministry has said that Mr Aristide signed a formal resignation letter that opened the way to a new administration being set up in Haiti.

Mr Collard said the resignation, made "at night, while in the hands of armed soldiers", was unconstitutional and therefore invalid.

By US Terrorist 1 April 04

FRONT FOR NATIONAL LIBERATION AND RECONSTRUCTION (F.L.R.N.)

Year two hundredth of our Independence

The Haitian people, fooled, humiliated and oppressed, have decided to take into their hands their destiny. No more speeches, promises, projects, hard lucks, "rocks in water vs rocks under the sun".

We have decided that we will no longer be hopeless and we will ourselves conquer our hope. In 1986, we thought that we had been liberated. We got everything but our freedom. After eighteen years of sufferings and frustrations, our patience has reached its limits.

We are organizing our Movement as : Front pour la LibZration et la Reconstruction Nationales

(F.L.R.N.) Front for the National Liberation and Reconstruction

Our movement includes all already liberated cities, all cities that are now being liberated, all cities to be liberated.

The Haitian Revolution is moving ahead.

Our objectives are simple:

1. Get rid of the Lavalas tyranny and dictatorship.

2. Coordinate and establish the structure of the Movement for National Liberation and Reconstruction, through the FLRN council.

3. Take care of urgent problems, which plague the liberated cities and regions, particularly those related to security matters.

4. Create and jumpstart the processes by which the people can be put to work in the shortest possible time in order to curtail widespread unemployment, hunger, as well as parasitism and total dependence on charity.

5. Strengthen our relations with our international allies and friends on the basis of friendship, responsibility and mutual respect.

We are asking all Haitians, both living inside Haiti and those of the Diaspora as well as all friends of Haiti to give us their most active support to help us reach our objectives, enabling us to offer all our citizens the true freedom and happiness they deserve.

The following cities have been liberated:

Gona•ves
Marchand-Dessalines
Liancourt
LimbZ
Borgne
Grand-Goave
Saint-Marc
Ennery
Gros-Morne
LEst?re
Anse-Rouge
Petite Rivi?re de lArtibonite
Trou du Nord (Nord-Est)
Anse Rouge
Ennery
L'Est?re
Saint-Michel de lAttalaye
Trou du Nord
Dondon
Plaisance

Winter Etienne, spokesman of FLRN
City of Gona•ves, Ha•ti
flrn@worldnet.att.net
F.L.R.N.

By Winter Etienne posted 11 February 04

Haiti: send a note of protest to embassies of South Africa

Aristide of Haiti + Thabo Mbeki of South Africa = the evil couple

When two monsters get together to crush Haiti

Mbeki's Haiti trip could cost R10-million. News24-- Pretoria - The South African government is set to spend R10m and send a navy vessel with military support personnel to the Caribbean which is celebrating 200 years without white oppression.

This decision has been described in some quarters as a "totally senseless waste on symbolism without any content". Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma left for Haiti from the Commonwealth summit in Nigeria on Monday to provide support for the festivities there on January 1.

The SAS Drakensberg left Simon's Town for the island on Friday afternoon with about 200 sailors, aircrew and medical staff aboard. The personnel will take care of logistics, security and medical support during the celebrations that have been marred by widespread violence on the island over the past few weeks.

The ship will also serve as a safe overnight facility for President Thabo Mbeki and his entourage if the situation on the island become too unsafe. The ship will return only on January 25. Two police explosives experts will also leave for the island soon to help with security measures.

Only successful slave rebellion in history, The South African delegation will leave for Haiti about a week before the celebrations start.

At least 15 people were killed and hundreds arrested in violent clashes in the past few weeks between the island's police force and pressure groups protesting against the oppression of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

By Erika Gibson posted 17 December 03