Aristide to send reinforcements to Cap Haitien after rebels leave

Monday, February 23, 2004

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): President Jean Bertrand Aristide on Sunday announced he was sending reinforcements to Haiti's second-largest city, Cap Haitien, which armed rebels took over, left and promised to return to.

Aristide made his announcement as he opened the weeklong carnival. He gave no further detail.

The rebels, who are demanding Aristide's ouster, were seen leaving Cap Haitien on their way to the airport, which they seized earlier, according to witnesses.

Witnesses said the rebels had been joined by Guy Philippe, a former police chief and member of the Revolutionary National Liberation Front of Haiti.

Earlier in the day, witnesses reported heavy gunfire, chaos and two deaths as rebels, who control part of Haiti's north and center, invaded Cap Haitien.

Witnesses said there was looting throughout the city and there were reports the heavily armed and hooded rebels had freed prisoners at the local police station which was in flames.

Jubilant rebels paraded through the streets of the city, which has a population of one million.

The rebels were led by a man named "commandant Petime," who came from Gonaives, the first city rebels seized, on February 5. At least 59 people have died since then.

At least 59 people have been killed since the rebels, who had vowed on Friday to move on Cap Haitien and the city of Saint-Marc this weekend if Aristide did not step down, launched their insurgency by taking the northwestern town of Gonaives.

Saint-Marc, with a population of about 160,000, lies between Gonaives and Port-au-Prince, which the rebels -- who claim to have more than 700 men in arms, most of them former soldiers from the army that Aristide dissolved in 1995 after a coup -- have also threatened.

The insurgents' strategy since earlier in the month has tended to be to attack cities, drive out the police, burn police stations and then swiftly withdraw. Highly mobile, they then come and go to keep an eye on towns that have fallen to them.

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