JUST NEWS: Haiti

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Friday, July 5, 2019

Can Haitians Help “Make Canada Better”?

Global Research, July 05, 2019

This year, an unprecedented event took place on Canada Day, in Ottawa. A group of Canadians answered a fellow citizen’s challenge to host the first ever “Make Canada Better – Speaker’s Corner”. The challenge went up on Facebook and Twitter, on June 16, 2019. It called for speakers to come to Ottawa on July 1st and “tell the truth about Apartheid in 2019 foreign-occupied Haiti”. It, in fact, listed three specific rendez-vous:

July 1, 2019: Ottawa, Canada
July 4, 2019: Washington, DC, USA
July 14, 2019: Paris, France

As I explained to dozens of participants and curious listeners, who walked past the U.S. Embassy, on Sussex Drive, this Monday July 1, 2019, inspiration for these events came from a dear friend, the late Dr. Patrick Élie. The Biochemistry Professor, who passed away in February 2016, once went on a cross-Canada tour during which he spoke passionately about the urgent need for a radical change in Canadian policy towards Haiti.

Dr. Élie, who once served in the government of democratically-elected Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was often asked by attendees of his lectures: “what should well-meaning Canadians do to help Haiti?“. Invariably, he answered: “be a good citizen of your own country“.

Indeed, anyone who would have attended Patrick Élie’s lectures or who watched one of the well-researched documentaries about recent Haitian history, would quickly grasp the profound message conveyed in that sentence. A good Canadian citizen is one who exercises rights and fulfills duties that help make Canada a force for good in the world.

For nearly two decades now, a group of Canadians have tried to stir Canadian policy towards Haiti in a better direction. Unfortunately, the objective facts point to no major success thus far.

As illustrated by Canadian-French and American flags-adorned wooden crosses they trail on bent backs at multiple street demonstrations, impoverished Haitians consistently denounce Canada, the U.S. and France for the primary role they say these countries are playing in supporting a Neo-Tonton Macoute regime in Haiti.

Various researchers have documented disturbing evidence that Europe-U.S-Canada continue to nurture an unofficial system of political, social and economic Apartheid in the U.N./U.S.-occupied nation of Haiti.

Similarly to the 1915-1934 occupation of Haiti by the U.S., most natives reject today’s fraudulently and violently-imposed “presidents”, “senators”, “ministers” who are seen as mere black-face-white-mask puppets of the Core Group of foreigners (mostly white) who hold effective control of the 27,750 Square Kilometers known as the Republic of Haiti. This is also consistent with the decisions reached at the scandalous January 31, 2003 Ottawa Initiative on Haiti Coup planning meeting.

The “Ottawa Initiative on Haiti”: Humanist Peacekeeping or…?

So, what was the point of repeating a message that has been systematically ignored by Canadian foreign policy makers, since the February 29, 2004 coup?

The topic is, of course, close to heart as I am an African, a native of Haiti, a Canadian and a citizen of Planet Earth who aspires to a better world. The 30000 Haitian victims of cholera contagion (brought to the island by the illegally-deployed U.N. troops), are family. The millions who are merely surviving on the island under the foreign-imposed neo-Tonton Macoute regime are deserving of our genuine solidarity.

In the African-Canadian community, there is much disdain for the term “visible minority” which was rendered fashionable by (mostly white) decision makers. It is fair to say that, after decades of speeches, its use has not helped increase the presence of non-whites in the spheres of power in Canada, to any significant degree. Likewise, the omnipresent huge cross adorned by the Canadian flag that Haitian demonstrators carry has, so far, somehow, failed to attract the curiosity of Canadian mainstream journalists. Some uncomfortable realities seem to have the surprising property of becoming invisible in plain sight.

Nonetheless, this past Monday July 1, 2019, Jo, a Raging Granny who joined previous Canada Haiti Action Networkevents in 2004-2006, was present with us, in front of the U.S. Embassy to answer the challenge. So was Mimi, an elegant grey-haired musician who speaks fondly of her native Petit-Goave, where she would have spent her old days, were it not for the Neo-Tonton Macoute regime that our taxes are propping up in Haiti.

Two vans arrived from Montreal with peace and anti-imperialism activists, including Frantz André, Jenny-Laure Sully, Marie Dimanche, friends from the Algonguin Anishinabe Nation and many more comrades of various background and experiences.

Did we successfully, magically, make Canada better with our speeches, with the flyers we distributed about the embezzled Petro Caribe funds, with information on the ongoing crimes like the Massacre of La Saline, or on journalist Pétion Rospide who the regime assassinated on June 10, 2019?

Will Federal Party Leaders answer our call for a principled stand on Haiti, ahead of the October elections?

Will CBC reporters decide to finally elucidate the reason young Haitians carry that cross which shames us all, on their backs?

I am unable to answer these questions with any degree of confidence. However, I feel honoured to have stood by the wretched of the earth alongside Darlène, Kevin, Simone, Turenne, Raymond, Mimi, Jo, Marie, Jean-Claude, Frantz, Jenny-Laure, Pierre as well as dozens of old or new comrades, on this July 1st afternoon. Brother Patrick, we tried to be the best Canadian citizens that we could be.

Tomorrow is July 4th. I have been told that, if not in Washington, in New-York, our KOMOKODA comrades will carry the challenge to tell the truth about Haiti, as they have been doing every Thursday – for several years now. Your beloved brother, the tireless Dahoud André is at the front. Do rest in peace comrade Patrick!

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This article was originally published on Jafrikayiti.

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The original source of this article is Global Research

https://www.globalresearch.ca/can-haitians-help-make-canada-better/5682755

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Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Canada Enables Corrupt Haitian President to Remain in Power

By Yves Engler

Global Research, June 25, 2019

Yves Engler 23 June 2019

At the front of a protest against Haiti’s president last week a demonstrator carried a large wooden cross bearing the flags of Canada, France and the US. The Haiti Information Project tweeted that protesters “see these three nations as propping up the regime of President Jovenel Moïse. It is also recognition of their role in the 2004 coup.”

Almost entirely ignored by the Canadian media, Haitian protesters regularly criticize Canada. On dozens of occasions since Jean Bertrand Aristide’s government was overthrown in 2004 marchers have held signs criticizing Canadian policy or rallied in front of the Canadian Embassy in Port-au-Prince. For their part, Haiti Progrès and Haiti Liberté newspapers have described Canada as an “occupying force”, “coup supporter” or “imperialist” at least a hundred times.

In the face of months of popular protest, Canada remains hostile to the protesters who represent the impoverished majority. A recent corruption investigation by Haiti’s Superior Court of Auditors and Administrative Disputes has rekindled the movement to oust the Canadian-backed president. The report into the Petrocaribe Fund accuses Moïse’s companies of swindling $2 million of public money. Two billion dollars from a discounted oil program set up by Venezuela was pilfered under the presidency of Moïse’s mentor Michel Martelly.

Since last summer there have been numerous protests, including a weeklong general strike in February, demanding accountability for public funds. Port-au-Prince was again paralyzed during much of last week. In fact, the only reason Moïse — whose electoral legitimacy is paper thin — is hanging on is because of support from the so-called “Core Group” of “Friends of Haiti”.

Comprising the ambassadors of Canada, France, Brazil, Germany and the US, as well as representatives of Spain, EU and OAS, the “Core Group” released another statement effectively backing Moise. The brief declaration called for “a broad national debate, without preconditions”, which is a position Canadian officials have expressed repeatedly in recent weeks. (The contrast with Canada’s position regarding Venezuela’s president reveals a stunning hypocrisy.) But, the opposition has explicitly rejected negotiating with Moïse since it effectively amounts to abandoning protest and bargaining with a corrupt and illegitimate president few in Haiti back.

In another indication of the “Core Group’s” political orientation, their May 30 statement “condemned the acts of degradation committed against the Senate.” Early that day a handful of opposition senators dragged out some furniture and placed it on the lawn of Parliament in a bid to block the ratification of the interim prime minister. Canada’s Ambassador André Frenette also tweeted that “Canada condemnsthe acts of vandalism in the Senate this morning. This deplorable event goes against democratic principles.” But, Frenette and the “Core Group” didn’t tweet or release a statement about the recent murder of journalist Pétion Rospide, who’d been reporting on corruption and police violence. Nor did they mention the commission that found Moïse responsible for stealing public funds or the recent UN report confirming government involvement in a terrible massacre in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of La Saline in mid-November. Recent Canadian and “Core Group” statements completely ignore Moise’s electoral illegitimacy and downplay the enormity of the corruption and violence against protesters.

Canada Backs Repression, Killing of Protestors in Haiti

Worse still, Canadian officials regularly promote and applaud a police force that has been responsible for many abuses. As I detailed in a November story headlined “Canada backs Haitian government, even as police force kills demonstrators”, Frenette attended a half dozen Haitian police events in his first year as ambassador. Canadian officials continue to attend police ceremonies, including one inMarch, and offer financial and technical support to the police. Much to the delight of the country’s über class-conscious elite, Ottawa has taken the lead in strengthening the repressive arm of the Haitian state since Aristide’s ouster.

On Wednesday Frenette tweeted, “one of the best parts of my job is attending medal ceremonies for Canadian police officers who are known for their excellent work with the UN police contingent in Haiti.” RCMP officer Serge Therriault leads the 1,200-person police component of the Mission des Nations unies pour l’appui à la Justice en Haïti (MINUJUSTH).

At the end of May Canada’s ambassador to the UN Marc-André Blanchard led a United Nations Economic and Social Council delegation to Haiti. Upon his return to New York he proposed creating a “robust” mission to continue MINUJUSTH’s work after its planned conclusion in mid-October. Canadian officials are leading the push to extend the 15-year old UN occupation that took over from the US, French and Canadian troops that overthrew Aristide’s government and was responsible for introducingcholera to the country, which has killed over 10,000.

While Haitians regularly challenge Canadian policy, few in this country raise objections. In response to US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s recent expression of solidarity with Haitian protesters, Jean Saint-Vil put out a call titled “OH CANADA, TIME TO BE WOKE LIKE ILHAN OMAR & MAXINE WATERS!” The Haitian Canadian activist wrote: “While, in Canada, the black population is taken for granted by major political parties who make no effort to adjust Canadian Foreign policies towards African nations, Haiti and other African-populated nations of the Caribbean, where the Euro-Americans topple democratically-elected leaders, help set up corrupt narco regimes that are friendly to corrupt Canadian mining companies that go wild, exploiting the most impoverished and blackest among us, destroying our environments in full impunity… In the US, some powerful voices have arisen to counter the mainstream covert and/or overt white supremacist agenda. Time for REAL CHANGE in Canada! The Wine & Cheese sessions must end! We eagerly await the statements of Canadian party leaders about the much needed change in Canadian Policy towards Haiti. You will have to deserve our votes, this time around folks!”

Unfortunately, Canadian foreign policymakers — the Liberal party in particular — have co-opted/pacified most prominent black voices on Haiti and other international issues. On Monday famed Haitian-Canadian novelist Dany Laferrière attended a reception at the ambassador’s residence in Port-au-Prince while the head of Montréal’s Maison d’Haïti, Marjorie Villefranche, says nary a word about Canadian imperialism in Haiti. A little discussed reason Paul Martin’s government appointed Michaëlle Jean Governor General in September 2005 was to dampen growing opposition to Canada’s coup policy among working class Haitian-Montrealers.

Outside the Haitian community Liberal-aligned groups have also offered little solidarity. A look at the Federation of Black Canadians website and statements uncovers nothing about Canada undermining a country that dealt a massive blow to slavery and white supremacy. (Members of the group’s steering committee recently found time, however, to meet with and then attend a gala put on by the anti-Palestinian Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.)

A few months ago, Saint-Vil proposed creating a Canadian equivalent to the venerable Washington, D.C. based TransAfrica, which confronts US policy in Africa and the Caribbean. A look at Canadian policy from the Congo to Venezuela, Burkina Faso to Tanzania, suggests the need is great. Anyone seeking to amplify the voices from the streets of Port-au-Prince should support such an initiative.

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The original source of this article is Yves Engler

https://www.globalresearch.ca/canada-enables-corrupt-haitian-president-remain-power/5681669

JUST NEWS published this article following the Creative Commons rule. If you don't want your article to appear in this blog email me and I will remove it asap.

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Monday, June 10, 2019

Haiti, the Silent Chaos!

The somalisation process!

By Joël Léon

Global Research, June 10, 2019

Introductory Note on Somalia. Its Relevance to Haiti

One year of the war between Somalia and Ethiopia (1977-78) was enough to destroy an entire country and spread instability across the region.

After the 1991 coup that toppled general Mohamed Siad Barre from power, conflict was inevitable. A long overdue civil war broke out, ignited by Ethiopia. The government financed many small groups of armed thugs to destabilize the populace, and Somalia abruptly stopped being a state, let alone a government. Somalia no longer fit the United Nations’ definition of a “Group of people which have acquired international recognition as an independent country and which have a population, a common language and a defined a distinct territory”. In effect, the government and state of Somalia had ceased to exist. Therefore, it became impossible for the specialists of international law to approve Somalia as a state.

Somalia was run by 5 gangs that divided the country between warlords. The concept of a central government was replaced by a cadre of armed thugs. Every 25 miles, there was a warlord taking actions in the sole interest of his gang, which integrated into a bigger group.

The consequences didn’t take long to explode in the face of the world. In 1992, after the report of 300,000 deaths, the United Nations, supported by the US. government, had to take action to stop the madness. They created the “United Nations Operation in Somalia; UNOSOM I. The goal of this mission was to facilitate humanitarian aid and to make sure a cease-fire would endure.

Before that, the war-lords diverted humanitarian aid, shelled it out to their partisans, and traded with neighboring countries for guns and ammunition. They used the aid to maintain a solid relationship between the local population and their cause. This created a favorable precondition for the warlords in the field when they declared UN soldiers “Persona Non-Grata” under heavy fire in Mogadishu.

The civil war killed more than 500,000 Somalians, more than 2 million refugees, 2 U.S. black-hawk helicopters went down, and the United States lost 18 soldiers. Pakistan and India lost soldiers as well.

In 2018, Somalia remains on the brink. Mogadishu, the capital, is still under heavy fire. On October 14th, 2018, “A bomb-laden truck in central Mogadishu killed at least 358 people.” Unfortunately, the Somali people are still living in distress and the United Nations is failing to bring peace and stability to the 15 million men, women, and children whose fate is tied to Somalia. Haiti, is also moving quickly into chaos to become the next Somalia of America. No one is taking notice.

***

“Somalisation”, The Destruction of Haiti

Whether you like or hate Jean Bertrand Aristide, he spared Haiti from the process of ‘somalisation’ that destroyed so many countries in Africa: Liberia, Chad, Libya, and Sudan, by agreeing to withdraw himself from power on February 29th, 2004. When Guy Philippe, former chief of police, [supported by the CIA] led an armed rebellion to overthrow him from power in 2003, it marked the beginning of the destruction of Haiti.

100 Years of Occupation – 100 Years of Resistance in Haiti

In the Wake of the 2010 Earthquake

Immediately after the earthquake that claimed more than 300,000 lives in 2010, another opportunity for ‘somalization’ presented itself. The country was in total disarray, the capital was 40 % destroyed, and more than 1 million people were displaced or lived under tents in very difficult conditions. The international community, specifically the United Nations and the United States, pushed the government toward organizing elections. In that chaotic situation, the least qualified presidential candidate, Michel Martelly, was handpicked and parachuted to power by the Clinton’s, Hillary and Bill.

It was well known that putting an inexperienced man such as Martelly in power would create high tensions. Today, here is the reality: a country is on the verge of a breakdown, both social and economic. Civil war is upon us.

Port-Au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, is similar to Mogadishu in 1991. Here is the configuration of the new “Wild Wild West,’’ in the heart of the Americas. The south side of the capital is run by 3 great warlords: Bougoy in “Gran Ravine,’’ “Baz Pilat” in the middle, and Arnel in the northwest of the city.

The north is under control of “Tijunior,’’ “Ti ougan,’’ “Barbecue” (a former cop), and southwest by a young man called “Tije”.

A few weeks ago, one of the warlords, Arnel, made an audacious move by creating another branch of his criminal organization in the department of “Artibonite,” in the north of the country. The plan is to expand his grip to a larger territory outside of the capital. At the beginning of the month the national police force tried to apprehend him, and that was a catastrophe. Arnel and his armed men kicked PNH out of the area, got inside of the headquarters of the police, vandalized it, stole everything then could, burned police cars, and demolished a local store for DIGICEL, the largest phone company in Haiti. Since then, an area that is inhabited by 155,272 people is under control of the warlord Arnel.

The parallel is obvious. The gangs are better equipped than the national police forces. They have the best weapons (M-16, Galil, Kalashnikov, T-65), many trucks and cars, and some of them are new. It’s not a secret to anybody that the government is providing guns, ammunition, and money to those armed groups. They openly admitted it. There is a radio station called “Radio Mega,’’ and Luco Desir, a very popular anchor who from time to time interviewed Arnel Joseph. He admitted that he got support from some officials of the government. On April 24th, a former prosecutor in the capital, Danton Leger, declared that the president of Haiti, Mr. Jovenel Moise, sent $100,000 to Arnel via an active senator, Gracia Delva.

The chairman of the commission of justice and security in the Senate, the senator Jean Renel Senatus, provided information to the press on May 23rd, 2019, that after an investigation by his commission, they found the phone number of senator Gracia Delva listed in Arnel’s Phone. And they spoke frequently, 24 times from February 7th to 17th. Of course, the senator denied it.

The capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince is devoid of people after 6 at night. The population is being held hostage in their own homes. If there is an emergency in the middle of the night, no one will take the chance to drive to the hospital because the gangs take over each night.

An independent and well respected Haitian journalist from “Nouvelliste,’’ Robenson Geffrard, tweeted:

“the armed gang led by the warlord Arnel Joseph, wanted by the police, and the gang of “Savien,’’ are raping people. They intercepted a bus filled with missionaries at “L’estere” (an area in the department of “Artibonite”), and they raped all the women found in the bus.’’

On November 13th, 2018, a massacre took place in a slum area called “Lasaline.’’ RNDDH, a human rights organization, published an investigative report which said 70 people were killed, and many houses burned down. Videos were posted on social media showing animals eating the bodies of people in “Lasaline”. The United Nations was forced to investigate the matter and corroborated the results of the human right organizations. The armed groups used guns and machetes to attack people and burned down their houses. Some of the attackers were dressed in national police uniforms.

Some people believe that gangs are a tool used by the government to intimidate and repress people. Specifically, the armed men create a situation of permanent tension in the main shantytowns of the country by constantly firing guns into the air. Sometimes, they kill inhabitants just to dissuade them from taking part in the electoral process. Those favoring the government are provided free transportation to the polls.

The population of Haiti is living in horrendous social and economic conditions. With less than $2 a day, no electricity, no clean water, no jobs, no health system; they are living with practically nothing. The corrupt government is making it worse for the people when they decide to use warlords to intimidate and kill them. Far away from the international press, the population is silently ingesting their misery. Because Haiti is not Venezuela, the American administration is currently supporting the process of “Somalization” of Haiti by vowing their support to a corrupt government that is terrorizing its own population. The chaos continues. The process of Somalization of Haiti is in rapid development.

On May 25th 2019, a group of armed men attacked a group of people in the streets of the capital around 8 at night. 8 people were reported killed and many injured. Yvenson Destine, journalist of radio zenith, went in the area the next day morning to acquire information about the carnage. He was assaulted by the same group of bandits, one person was killed, and the journalist was in hiding for many hours until police came. Here is the volatile reality of Haiti, where armed groups have control some parts of the capital.

June 9th 2019, more than 1 million people were on the street asking peacefully “Kote Kob Petwokaribe a” (where is the Petrocaribe money). Police forces step in killing 7 people and injuring 147, 70 were arrested. The chaos is continuing!

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The original source of this article is Global Research

https://www.globalresearch.ca/haiti-silent-chaos/5680132

JUST NEWS published this article following the Creative Commons rule. If you don't want your article to appear in this blog email me and I will remove it asap.

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