HAITI-POLITICS: CHANGING THE IMAGE OF A BLOODSTAINED FORCE
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Nov 18 (IPS) - FORTY-SIX YEAR OLD BERNADIN POISSON HAS A MONUMENTAL JOB. HIS TASK? CLEANING UP THE IMAGE OF AN ARMY WHOSE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES GAINED IT NOTORIETY.
HAITIAN PRESIDENT JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE WEDNESDAY APPOINTED POISSON INTERIM COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMY. ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE, HE HAD BEEN PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF BRIGADIER GENERAL.
ONCE THE SENATE RATIFIES THE APPOINTMENT, POISSON WILL HEAD THE HAITIAN ARMY FOR THREE YEARS.
HE TOLD IPS THURSDAY THAT HE "WILL ASSUME MY RESPONSIBILITIES LIKE A SOLDIER" AND "PLACE THE ARMY AT THE SERVICE OF THE NATION."
"RUMOURS HAD BEEN CIRCULATING FOR DAYS ABOUT MY APPOINTMENT, BUT IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE," HE SAID. "I SEE THIS APPOINTMENT AS MEANING THAT THE GOVERNMENT WISHES TO CHANGE THE ARMY'S IMAGE."
HAITI'S ARMY DEPOSED ARISTIDE IN SEPTEMBER 1991 AND LAUNCHED A REIGN OF TERROR THAT MADE PREVIOUS DICTATORSHIPS PALE.
ESTIMATES VARY, BUT BETWEEN 2,000 AND 3,000 PEOPLE HAD DIED AT THE HANDS OF THE MILITARY AND THEIR HENCHMEN BY THE TIME ARISTIDE WAS REINSTATED TWO MONTHS AGO WITH THE HELP OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
EARLIER INDICATIONS THAT ARISTIDE'S GOVERNMENT AIMED TO CLEAN UP THE ARMY AND IMPROVE ITS IMAGE INCLUDE A REFORM PROGRAMME UNDER WHICH SOME OFFICERS HAVE BEEN RETRENCHED AND OTHERS TRANSFERRED TO DIFFERENT GARRISONS.
HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT ANNOUNCED WHAT IT INTENDS TO DO WITH THE HIGH COMMAND INHERITED FROM FORMER COMMANDER-IN- CHIEF RAOUL CEDRAS.
CEDRAS, WHO WAS GRANTED ASYLUM IN PANAMA AFTER INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE FORCED HIM TO STEP DOWN, WAS REPLACED BY POISSON'S IMMEDIATE PREDECESSOR, GEN. JEAN-CLAUDE DUPERVAL, WHO REMAINS IN OFFICE UNTIL THE SENATE RATIFIES WEDNESDAY'S APPOINTMENT.
HOWEVER, NOT EVERYONE IS PLEASED ABOUT THE MILITARY REFORM. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC OF IT," A STAFF MEMBER OF A NON- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION (NGO) TOLD IPS, ASKING NOT TO BE IDENTIFIED.
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