FROM THE FIELD
20 Feb 2004 18:04:00 GMT
Haiti on the brink of civil war
Position statement of national and international NGOs working in Haiti
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ActionAid - UK
Website: actionaid.org
In the previous NGO message dated 26th December 2003, it was emphasized the alarming, critical and anguished nature of the socio-political situation in which the Haitian people are living. In the run-up to the eve of Haiti’s bicentenary of independence, this situation was characterized by:
- A climate of terror where human rights, particularly the right to life, and the most basic civil liberties are denied; - The systematization of repression, exercised by police forces and armed civilian groups, against the civilian population during peaceful street demonstrations to express disagreement with Government policies; - Great difficulties in seeking justice for the victims of violence, giving rise to a situation of institutionalized impunity and resulting in an increase in acts of intimidation, political assassinations, aggressions and rape against women; - A situation of generalized insecurity causing victims at all levels of Haitian society, from rural female traders aggressed, robbed, raped and deprived of their goods on the roads leading to rural and urban markets, to the businessman or industrialist kidnapped, ransomed and/or murdered, and including the systematic theft of vehicles belonging to NGOs even those working in the most remote areas of the country.
Unfortunately, despite protests and condemnations from the national and international community, this situation persists and became more critical in the first two months of 2004. The current grave situation in which Haitian society finds itself is characterized by the following facts:
- The emergence of an armed anti-Aristide insurrection movement at Gonaives, composed of dissident former Lavalas supporters ; and violent confrontations between Government supporters and the anti-Aristide opposition (at St Marc, Trou du Nord, Dondon, St Raphael, Gros-Morne, Grand-Goave and Petit-Goave to name just some of the towns), leading the country to the verge of a generalized civil war ; - The violation of humanitarian spaces such as schools, the university and hospitals (at Port-au-Prince and at Gonaives) by the National Police of Haiti, armed groups in the pay of the Government, also by the armed anti-Aristide opposition, in flagrant violation of the four Geneva conventions on the protection of non-fighters during armed conflicts ; - The abandoning of Police Stations by police forces in more than 10 towns, leaving the civilian population at the mercy of repression at the hands of heavily-armed civilian groups ; - The increase of internal and external displacements of the population, following punitive actions of armed groups and certain interventions carried out in the name of «re-establishing» or «maintaining order».
This situation of ungovernability, of institutionalized violence, and of insecurity which currently prevails in the country, contributes to the worsening of the already precarious socio-economic conditions of the population (around 50 % of the Haitian population, that is 4 million people, live in a situation of constant food insecurity and 65% live below the absolute poverty line) and to the deterioration of macroeconomic and macro-social conditions of the country.
In the North, North-East and North-West Departments which are cut off from the rest of the country, as a result of the problems of receiving petrol supplies for the Northern Capital (Cap-Haitien), the price of petrol products has already doubled affecting the cost of transport. The circulation of people and products can only take place with extreme difficulty and in dangerous conditions and is resulting in the loss of crucial income for the poor and vulnerable populations of these regions.
Moreover this situation, not only limits the capacities of intervention and follow-up by humanitarian agencies of the human rights situation and/or development activities (as well as emergency food distributions to people already affected by drought and floods), but also prevents all long-term planning in terms of human and economic development of the country, and contributes to increase migration both internal and external.
Haiti is currently experiencing a situation of extreme urgency, even a humanitarian crisis taking into account, on the one hand, the disfunctioning of public service structures, particularly in the public health sector, making it extremely difficult to give medical assistance to the victims of armed conflict ; and on the other hand, the difficulties of vulnerable populations to access food and livelihoods in the regions in conflict or areas cut off by the conflict; and finally the problems of communication isolating the zones in conflict from the rest of the country. However, this emergency situation would not be solved just by a massive influx of food aid, without reaching a resolution of the political situation which is the cause. Moreover food aid has traditionally had adverse impacts on the systems and structures of production of the country and can only put at risk the process of sustainable development.
Every humanitarian intervention must have the perspective of sustainable development in Haiti and the structural causes of under-development which have existed for more than a century. It is equally important to consider that at the present hour, the urgency is in the re-establishment of governance and a secure socio-political environment, stable and non-violent, indispensable conditions for a process of sustainable development. In the absence of these conditions, it would be quite impossible for public and private institutions and national and international NGOs to accompany the Haitian people in its untiring quest for national construction put in peril by the often irresponsible members of the governing elite.
Nevertheless, the urgent need to reestablish this political governance and this secure socio-political environment, stable and non-violent, must not lead the international community to prioritize a military intervention in the country, particularly at the time when the Haitian people celebrate the bicentenary of its independence dearly acquired through struggle and self-denial. Any military intervention in the current crisis would not be sustainable, if the structural causes of the decaying Haitian social situation were not addressed, notably : a social structure which is extremely unequal and polarized, the increasing poverty and social exclusion of the great majority of the population from the spheres of power.
We, the national and international non-governmental organizations who have signed this message, believe that to achieve our mission in Haiti, it is imperative that a secure and non-violent socio-political environment be re-established, which can only be guaranteed by a democratic governance respectful of human rights and concerned by the well-being of the Haitian people.
We reaffirm that international solidarity with the Haitian people must be characterized by the respect for national sovereignty and the right to the people of self-determination. We request the following of the international community :
- That the Haitian population are supported in the exercising of their constitutional rights ; - That the international community strongly condemns without hesitation all act of political violence in Haiti, and that appropriate sanctions are taken against those responsible for these acts ; - That every necessary measure is taken to immediately prevent any exportation or trafficking of arms to Haiti; - That all humanitarian interventions that might be envisaged take place with the respect for institutions already in place and avoid creating a mentality of dependence amongst the population ; - That repatriation of Haitian migrants and those repatriated for legal reasons ceases, until stable conditions are reestablished. - That the international community shows, as soon as favorable conditions are reestablished, its solidarity with the Haitian people by supporting the necessary steps towards participatory democracy as well as the reconstruction of services and institutions which are capable of assuring good management of the affairs of the State and social justice.
We call on all parties engaged in the current conflict to respect international agreements which guarantee the basic rights of citizens, and to which the Haitian State is a signatory.
We call on all parties in conflict to pay particular attention to the Geneva conventions which demand the respect for humanitarian space and protection of civilians (schools, hospitals…) during armed conflicts, in order to guarantee every victim (independent of his political affiliation) the right to protection and assistance needed.
Now more than ever, we reaffirm our engagement and our determination to accompany the Haitian people in its untiring search for social justice and the construction of a modern State which is democratic and respectful of basic human rights.
Port-au-Prince, February 13th 2004.
ActionAid Haiti-Dominican Republic: Edèle Thébaud Caritas of Haiti: R.P. Wilnès Tilus Groupe d’Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés (GARR): Colette Lespinasse GTIH: Thomas Jacques Intermon Oxfam: Xavier Palau
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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