Nightly, camouflage-clad rebels patrol this central
Haitian town, still armed and active five months after the rebellion
that led to the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Under
international pressure, the new government has ordered factions to give
up their guns in less than two months, but it has shown little
willingness to confront ex-soldiers controlling parts of the
countryside despite the presence of U.N. peacekeepers. The rebels, for
their part, say no one can force them to disarm. "We have no problem
with (the peacekeepers), but they have no right to take our arms," said
Fritz Pierre, who leads rebel foot patrols in this town of 10,000
people, 25 miles northeast of the capital. [more] Pictured below: Haitians
supporting former Haitian President Aristide protest against U.S.
President George W. Bush during an anti-war protest on the Boston
Common in Boston, Massachusetts July 25, 2004. [more]
Article originally appeared on (http://brownwatch.com/).
See website for complete article licensing information.
