A disarmament deadline passed without progress
Wednesday, foreshadowing a power struggle for Haiti's U.S.-backed
government with rebels unwilling to surrender control since they ousted
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February. Haitian police and
government officials set the deadline in July for the rebels, former
soldiers and Aristide supporters to disarm by Sept. 15 without facing
arrest. The deadline, however, disintegrated with a loosely worded
accord signed over the weekend that called for more dialogue. The
rebels, which include former soldiers who overthrew Aristide the first
time in a 1991 coup, have grown more vocal in their demands. The former
soldiers say Aristide illegally disbanded them and they are now owed
backpay and jobs. They say they will not disarm until their demands are
met - a point of contention with Haiti's struggling police, who are
trying to maintain a fragile peace. [more ]
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