France Considers Peacekeepers for Haiti
AP
1 hour, 28 minutes ago
By JOHN LEICESTER, Associated Press Writer
PARIS - France is considering sending peacekeepers to calm strife-torn Haiti, a former colony, and already has some means to help in its nearby Caribbean territories, the foreign minister said Tuesday.
"What can France do specifically? First, we want to reflect on what could be done urgently," Dominique de Villepin told France Inter Radio.
"Can we deploy a peacekeeping force? We are in contact with all of our partners in the framework of the United Nations, which has sent a humanitarian mission to Haiti to see what is possible."
He noted that deploying peacekeepers "is very difficult" when a nation is in the throes of violence, but said French officials were meeting Tuesday "to see what immediate contribution we can make."
Already, he said France has overseas territories in the region and expertise in the fields of education, health and humanitarian aid. "We have some very important assets close to Haiti, with our departments in the Antilles and Guiana."
The French Defense Ministry said it has 4,000 military personnel at two bases in the area, in Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Asked whether forces could be deployed quickly to stop a worsening of violence, De Villepin replied: "Absolutely. Many friendly countries are mobilized."
"They are ready to act. We must find ways to do that in liaison with the Haitian parties so that a process of dialogue can resume," he said.
Among France's top concerns is the welfare of about 2,000 French citizens who live in Haiti, mostly the capital, officials in Paris said.
Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has appealed for international help to quell an uprising that has killed more than 50 people and destabilized the Caribbean country. Rebels have taken control of parts of the north and center of Haiti.
De Villepin said the international community is ready to mobilize but "that supposes a spurt of effort by Haiti's political class, that President Aristide commits himself to a respect of civil peace. That's his first responsibility."
He called for talks.
"This implies that President Aristide, who over the years has let things degenerate, can find the strength to move toward dialogue, and that all Haitian officials think only of one thing: Haiti and the Haitian people who have suffered for too many years," the French minister said.
Discontent has grown in Haiti since Aristide's party swept flawed legislative elections in 2000. Opposition politicians refuse to participate in new elections unless the president steps down but Aristide insists he will stay until his term ends in February 2006.
"It's a country in a catastrophic situation, with 90 percent of the population that lives on less than $1 a day, life expectancy that is around 52 years," said de Villepin. "It's a country that today is on the edge of chaos."
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