Haiti protests enter day four as Aristide addresses UN

Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide

Saturday, September 27, 2003

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: Protests continued for the fourth day in Haiti yesterday over the fatal killing of an Aristide loyalist. Supporters of Mr. Amiot Metayer, clashed with police as they continued their demonstration. One man was shot to death and six others were wounded yesterday, the Associated Press reported.

The violent demonstrations started on Tuesday, a day after the bullet-riddled body of the so-called "Cannibal Army" in Gonaives, was found on a country road in the town of St. Marc. 

So far, 15 people have been wounded in the violence, including Friday's victims. 

Meanwhile, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, did not address any of the turmoil facing his country when he addressed the UN yesterday. 

Instead, Mr. Aristide stressed that the flowering of a new Haiti and the empowerment of a new world meant addressing the issue of environmental degradation. 

During the past three decades 400 million hectares of forests and woodlands had been lost worldwide - 40 per cent of which were in the Latin American and Caribbean regions, UN News quoted President Aristide as saying. 

Also highlighting the impact of another scourge, HIV/AIDS, he said it was necessary to recognize the gradual extinction of mankind as the pandemic continues to rampage throughout the world. 

Mr. Aristide also expressed hope that the reduction in global military spending during the past decade and the rise in spending for human development would promote both human and economic growth. 

In addition, the President said he hoped the international focus on terrorism would not lead to another arms race or spark the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The international community should work assiduously to ensure peace wherever wars are inflicting untold suffering, he added.

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