Global Policy Forum

By Bert Wilkinson

The 15-nation Caribbean Community has decided against recognizing Haiti's new U.S.-backed government, senior Caribbean officials said Friday. Regional leaders reached a consensus decision on the issue during the second and final day of a summit, said several senior officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. The move came a day after the leaders demanded that the U.N. General Assembly investigate Aristide's claims he was abducted at gunpoint by U.S. agents when he left as rebels threatened to attack Haiti's capital.

In Haiti, meanwhile, the interim government announced it will block dozens of ex-members of Aristide's government from leaving the country, including former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune. New Justice Minister Bernard Gousse told The Associated Press that the move was "an insurance policy" that will make the officials available for investigations into embezzlement and other alleged crimes. "This does not mean that they are guilty. It will be for the justice system to decide," Gousse said. Among the 37 names of the list is ex-police chief Jocelyne Pierre, former Central Bank head Venel Joseph and ex-chairman of the state-run telephone company, Alphonse Inevil, Gousse said. Neptune has already said he intends to remain in the country.

The regional trading bloc decided against opening formal relations with the new government over concerns about the manner in which ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left Haiti for exile. Asked if the regional bloc would recognize the new interim government, one national leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity: "Our people would not allow us to do that." Talks continued Friday but officials said their minds were made up. They said they would discuss the issue again at their regular annual summit in July in Grenada. The officials said for the time being the Caribbean Community plans to work through the United Nations and other agencies in dealing with Haiti. They said leaders had been under enormous pressure from the United States to recognize the new government.

In Haiti, a cargo ship bearing nearly 2,000 tons of rice, beans and oil docked at the northern port of Cap-Haitien, holding out relief for thousands of Haitians desperate for food in the aftermath of a rebel uprising. Aid workers estimate nearly 270,000 people need food aid in the north, and some babies already are dying. As for Aristide's eventual destination, Jamaican officials said he will take permanent asylum in South Africa, but not until it holds general elections next month. Aristide has been in temporary exile in Jamaica since March 15, despite protests from U.S. and Haitian officials.

Caribbean leaders are "still upset and uncomfortable" about Aristide's departure, and made that clear to U.N. special envoy Reginald Dumas when he listened to their debate, St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas told The Associated Press Thursday. "We are prepared to discuss the possibility of identifying exactly what were the circumstances," Douglas said. "We are taking this matter to the U.N. General Assembly for clarification." Conference officials said the 15-nation regional bloc wants the General Assembly to investigate rather than the Security Council, where the United States or France could veto the proposal. The Caribbean can expect support from the 53-member African Union, which last month echoed its demand.

The officials say Aristide has told Caribbean leaders that he was abducted at gunpoint by U.S. agents and put on a U.S.-chartered aircraft that carried him to the Central African Republic. U.S. officials say they organized the Feb. 29 departure at Aristide's request and probably saved his life as rebels who had overrun half the country threatened to attack Haiti's capital.

Caribbean leaders are angry that the Security Council refused their urgent plea to send international troops to save Aristide, Haiti's first democratically elected leader, but speedily sanctioned a U.S.-led intervention after he fled. The Caribbean bloc refused to join that peacekeeping force, but on Thursday considered sending troops with a separate U.N. humanitarian force to help rebuild Haiti, Douglas said. It would deploy within three months. Douglas also said Caribbean leaders remain angry with interim Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, who was not invited to the summit after he criticized the group for allowing Aristide to return to the region from Africa.