Huamn Rights Watch: Haiti Rebel Leaders’ History of Abuses Raises Fears

[MaryBear]

Press release from Human Righs Watch
Dateline New York, Friday February 27

Haiti: Rebel Leaders’ History of Abuses Raises Fears

If Haiti’s rebel forces carry out their promised attack on the capital Port-au-Prince, the civilian population must be spared, Human Rights Watch said in a briefing paper released today.
A rebel attack on Port-au-Prince could lead to widespread bloodshed and indiscriminate destruction of civilian property,” said Joanne Mariner, Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch’s Americas Division. “Given the past atrocities of some rebel leaders, and the violent propensities of pro-government gangs, we’re gravely concerned for the protection of the Haitian population.”
The 5-page backgrounder details the history of the armed insurgents, from the dubious human rights record of rebel leader Guy Philippe, a former police commissioner, to the bloody past of Louis Jodel Chamblain, a former paramilitary.

Read more.

Briefing Paper: Haiti: Recycled Soldiers and Paramilitaries on the March

Haiti: Recycled Soldiers and Paramilitaries on the March
Rebel forces are advancing on Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, sparking fears of widespread bloodshed. Among the leaders of the insurgency are such notorious figures as Louis Jodel Chamblain, a former paramilitary responsible for countless atrocities under the military government that ruled Haiti from 1991 to 1994. The reemergence of such violent and lawless men is a worrying portent for Haiti’s future.
The past three weeks of fighting between police and rebel forces, and pro- and anti-government bands, have left an estimated eighty people dead. The insurgents first seized control of Haiti’s northern region, then moved on to the Central Plateau, and are now poised to attack the capital. Some towns where government forces have been defeated have witnessed revenge attacks, known in Haiti as dechoukage, against persons, government installations, and the homes of government supporters. In Port-au-Prince, where the government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide remains in control, pro-government gangs known as chimères have violently attacked journalists and members of the civilian opposition.
The armed groups that have joined forces to oust President Aristide include disparate elements. With a solid core of former officers and soldiers of Haiti’s disbanded army, the rebels also comprise gangs that supported the government but that have now turned against it. Guy Philippe, a former police commissioner with a dubious human rights record, claims the leadership of these forces, together with his ally Chamblain. But there are strained alliances in the insurgent ranks. In Gonaïves, the northern port city whose takeover precipitated the crisis, local gang leader Butteur Métayer shares power with former paramilitary Jean Pierre Baptiste (alias Jean Tatoune), a man who once led a massacre targeting Métayer’s family. The unlikely nature of such partnerships suggests possible power struggles to come.
The Haitian government is institutionally weak and badly defended. With a small and demoralized police force plagued by desertions, the government has largely put its defense in the hands of armed civilian supporters, many of whom are criminals known for violence and abuses. On February 26, as an attack on Port-au-Prince seemed imminent, hundreds of these supporters began building defensive positions in front of the National Palace. Others manned intermittent road-blocks around the capital, stopping cars and, in some instances, robbing motorists.
In this situation of impending turmoil, basic human rights concerns are paramount. Given the poor record of the main players in Haiti, and the worrying potential for future abuses, Human Rights Watch is gravely concerned for the protection of the civilian population.

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[DenverDem]

1. Once again Amerika backs the brutal sociopath.

Takes one to know one.