The Haitian Crisis (Senou)

[Senou*]

The Haitian Crisis

The 200 hundredth anniversary of the first black nation passed unnoticed and today it is making the headline on every major broadcast station everywhere in the world. It is not for any reason that I call 2004 the Year of Engagement and Compassion. You have no choice but to engage in the Haitian situation and you are going to have some type of compassion for these suffering folks in the Caribbean Sea.

Today if you are a human being you can see clearly that the people of Haiti need your help and your support.

President Bush is wrong for returning the Haitian Refugees in this crucial moment. I call the American Congress to intervene. May you have some merci for these people!

The citizen of three countries fought for the Freedom of this great nation, American, French and also the Haitian Freedom Fighters. On October 9, 1779, without the intervention of our ancestors during the
Siege of Savannah the outcome of the war could be very different. This coming October, we expect to have a Haitian Monument in Savannah.

My fellow American brothers and sisters don’t forget my ancestors died for you, my fellow Americans don’t forget my ancestors spilled their blood for your Liberty. Today, the U.S. army is doing a great job in helping many throughout the world. You have indeed freed the women in Afghanistan, you are doing whatever you can to bring peace in Iraq, and you have 37,000 men and women protecting freedom in South Korea. The state of Haiti is located a few miles from South Florida and the Haitian people need your assistance.

It is true that the Haitian people do not get along with each other but leave it for another discussion. Today, I ask you to help the grandsons and granddaughters of those who fought for your freedom. Remember the sacrifice of their grandparents. Americans and Haitians, we are friends forever. Let renew that friendship in helping each other.


My fellow Haitians brothers, sisters and friends of Haiti, the state of Haiti is living the most crucial moment of its existence and mishandling this current crisis can make Haiti becoming the next Lebanon in the region. We shall make the ultimate sacrifice to avoid it at all cost. 24 years ago, the state of Lebanon was the Paradise Capital in the Middle East; today it is a no man land.

I called in the past for a political compromise between the Lavalas and the Convergence/Opposition and this should have been taken place before February 5 of this year. Today, this is another story.

I follow the Haitian crisis from day one and these folks; they called “Rebels” today, were loyalist and defending the regime in place. Today, they change side and we see other folks who take advantage of this volatile situation and join the Rebel movement. I call that another evolution of the Haitian crisis.

This is not the time to call “Criminal or Terrorist” someone you have to deal with either today or
tomorrow or may even drive you out. Eventually, one has to talk to the Rebel Commander. These folks are … serious and if you think that they are going to lay down their weapons and get busted, vous avez l’esprit en Espagne.

The state of Israel is talking with Hezbollah and a few weeks ago they exchanged prisoners. In doing so, the State of Israel recognizes that armed group. We shall take a good look at it.

I know some of you are good in playing politic and most of you do not understand the language of Diplomacy but force. And today, there cannot be any compromise without addressing the status of the Rebels.

Today, who has the real power in Haiti? Whatever agreement between the Lavalas and the Convergence/Opposition, they have to rely on foreign troop to implement it. An agreement could spare a bloody take over of the Capital, which is coming shortly. These folks took control of Cap-Haitien without any resistance and the police force is there to keep order not to fight a war my friend
. And we all know the rules of engagement: no foreign troop will ever enter into a war zone unless it is in the best interest of that country.

A final assault on the Capital will be deadly and the time of finding a peaceful compromise is running thin. I’m afraid to say that the current president may not have the last word and since he is unable to regain control of the occupied territory; therefore, we need to explore another alternative.

Keep your passion at bay and this is not the time to be too emotional. Let your brain, and not your emotion, dictates what should be done

The latest international proposal is not workable since it fails to include or address the Rebel Movement. While the negotiation was in process these folks continued to gain more territories.

The sudden change of event in Haiti caught everyone by surprise and it is filled with passion and emotion: the Rebel commander is fascinating in getting rid of the seating president, Mr. Metayer is seeking revenge for
his brother and the people are tired of this ongoing and everlasting negotiation.

Last weekend the Haitian president accepted a share of power since this dude will do everything to complete his term. He could have accepted the same thing three years ago, the Summer of 2001. and the opposition until last month had called for a regime change, these folks may have some difficulties to explain a 360 degree turn around. Consequently, they will not accept this current proposition.

At this present moment, we need to start asking the Big Question and the situation is very serious. Almost one third of the country is under the rules of the Rebel and the Code of Napoleon shall be in effect in the occupied territory. This current situation cannot go uncheck. Usually, when things get tense in the Capital we ask our people to go back to the countryside and these folks who are from the northern part of the country cannot go home and it is a little risky to go to unfamiliar territory right now.

At
this present moment, a final assault on the Capital may be unavoidable but we can find a way to make it less bloody.

I call upon the international community specially the United States, Canada, France, the OAS and the CARICOM to send an international force to bring order back to Haiti at the cessation of the Hostilities.

NB: The Atlanta Convention, June 25-26, 2004
For more info: hcrinfor@hcronline.org
http://www.hcronline.org

Joseph Alfred
Founder/CEO
Of
Haitian Community Relations, Inc
P.O. BOX 334
Smyrna, GA 30081

[JeanColin]

"The citizen of three countries fought for the Freedom of this great nation, American, French and also the Haitian Freedom Fighters. On October 9, 1779, without the intervention of our ancestors during the Siege of Savannah the outcome of the war could be very different. This coming October, we expect to have a Haitian Monument in Savannah."

-------

This is incorrect!

There were only two countries involved. The slaves of St. Domingue joined the Battle of Savannah under the flag of the French army and the command of a French General named Lafayette.

Haiti did not exist until another 25 years later, in 1804.

It is very dangerous and scary to take credit for what we did as slaves -- "fouet du commander" -- it is not in our best interest to do so. The Haitian Revolution was about the freedom of Africans in the Americas -- slaves -- which had nothing to do with what our poor ancestors died for in Georgia.


However, there bodies were used and their blood was spelled for someone else benefits the same way the sweat and energy of the "commanders" were used to punish their fellow slaves and do the dirty jobs of French soldiers or a French plantation owners.

If Haitians came to Georgia, they would have liberated their fellow Africans in the Americas and stop slavery more than 75 years before Abraham Lincoln put his signature on the Emancipation Declaration. The Battle of Savannah was not about us and this noble cause.

Let us hope, that our children, in the future, will not have to die, again, in wars that they don't belong in.

[jafrikayiti*]

Bravo Jean Colin !

When Henri Christophe went to Savannah at the age of 12 ! He was no French or Haitian citizen. He was, like everyone else who looked like him, a kidnapped African with no land to call his own in America. Like, the Senegalese used by the French during the European wars that are still called 'WWI and WWII', we were being USED by coward white generals who wanted to collect decorations while spilling OUR blood.

Jean Colin wrote:

"Let us hope, that our children, in the future, will not have to die, again, in wars that they don't belong in."

Good wish but unless we fight day and night to focus on what is IMPORTANT for our people, our sons and daughter will continue to be used by the Donald Rumsfeld, Trent Lott and G.W. Bushes of this world. As we speak, there are OUR black Haitians with U.S.-made M16, provided by way of the Dominican Republic, who are marching on
Port-au-Prince to assassinate the too-black, too non-compliant Haitian president - as was predicted by Stanley Lucas many years ago (Aristide will die like Laurent Kabila - killed by one of his bodyguards turned against him). Yes! what is happening today in Haiti was well scripted years in advance. In the interest of whom? While my fellow Haitian brothers and sisters - some of whom are progressives - find it difficult to admit who and what is behind this announced 'eradication' - the most conservative of white Canadian engineers and scientists with whom I work, can't believe their eyes when they see Charles Baker and Andy Apaid with no blush on their faces asking the President of the BLACK REPUBLIC OF HAITI where 99.9% of the population are 'gwo dyol' like Aristide, to step down. They take one look at the TV screen and there is something deep inside them, that tells them they have seen this somewhere before. The words Rodhesia come to their minds. Images of Bopha ! the black enforcers of P.W. Botha's
Apartheid system rushes in their mind...

So, yes we all know why our men and women continue to die in wars that are not their own.

Will we muster the courage to finally get up atand up for OUR OWN rights!

The hands are not hidden. We simply refuse to see them !

AMANDLA !

Jafrikayiti