To most people, USA president Donald Trump’s recent characterisation of Haiti (among other places) and its people, caused outrage. (1) However it should not be overlooked that the USA’s interaction and inimical postulations on the Caribbean island state pre-date the white house incumbent by many decades, if not centuries. (2)
Yet it was poignant that America’s 45th commander in chief made his comments on the eve of the 8th anniversary of the 7.0 Richter Scale earthquake that devastated Haiti, leaving over 250,000 people dead, 500,000 injured and an estimated 1,000,000 homeless. (3) Irrespective of whether the earthquake was a natural disaster, or the result of geological or “weather warfare,” as some contend (4), post-quake Haiti is a tragic tale of continued occupation, economic exploitation, industrial scale sexual abuse and political corruption.
The current phase of the occupation began after the USA, Canada and France led coup that ousted democratically elected Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February 2004. (5) It came in the form of the so-called United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) in spite of the fact that “Haiti is not at war, has never been at war and was purposely destabilized in 2004 to legitimized the presence of MINUSTAH and private foreign military subcontractors.” (6)
Thus when the earthquake struck, MINUSTAH already had a firm foothold in the island, but was about to get considerably worse. Seven months later MINUSTAH troops from Nepal imported the cholera bacteria, which went to cause, according to official figures, 10,000 fatalities, although the real figure could be as high as 30,000 (7) as well as making nearly one million sick. (8). Even worse, even though the source of the cholera was known quite early on, the UN did not admit to it until December 2016 – six years later (9) and has still not compensated victims. (10) On an even more sinister note there are those that claim that the introduction of cholera as the “infection of choice” for body part traffickers as it is known to leave the Organs intact.. (11)
Widespread sex abuse is also part of MINUSTAH’s sordid legacy in Haiti:
”The Associated Press found that some 150 allegations of abuse and exploitation by UN peacekeepers and other personnel were reported in Haiti alone between 2004 and 2016, out of the worldwide total of nearly 2,000. Aside from the Sri Lankan sex ring in Haiti, some perpetrators were jailed for other cases. Alleged abusers came from Bangladesh, Brazil, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uruguay and Sri Lanka, according to UN.” (12)
An internal United Nations report revealed at least 134 Sri Lankan peacekeepers exploited nine children in a sex ring from 2004 to 2007. this resulted in 114 “peacekeepers” being sent home. None was ever imprisoned. In fact the UN states that it has no jurisdiction over “peacekeepers” so any punishment is up to the countries that contribute the troops. (13)
Thus, far from keeping the peace in Haiti, the rate of violence has reportedly doubled from 5.6 per 100,000 people in 2007 to 10.2 per 100,000 in 2017 while under MINUSTAH occupation. (14)
Not surprisingly, one sphere where violence has increased is politics. In fact the USA re-activated Tonton Macoute (the government death squads created by dictator François “Papa Doc” Duvalier) operatives to foment violence as a pretext for ousting president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004 (15) in an operation that was planned at least a year earlier. (16)
Violence has continued to be used a ready tool to impose successive regimes through rigged elections. Firstly with Michel Martelly (2011-2016) as well as Jovenel Moise (2017 to present). (17) Indeed, the president of the Haitian Senate, Yuri Latortue, was a central operative of the 2004 coup. (18) At the same time the popular Fanmi Lavalas Party (started by Aristide) faces continual repression. Indeed, many commentators attest that the last ”electoral coup” robbed Haiti of ”the Woman who should be President of Haiti,” Dr. Maryse Narcisse, the Fanmi Lavalas candidate. (19)
For the USA, and the Clintons in particular and their proxies within Haiti the years of occupation and even the earthquake have been good for business. For example, against a backdrop of tens of billions of dollars collected in the wake of the earthquake a fraction of the projects were completed and the ones that were like the Caracol Industrial Park sweatshop complex in northern Haiti, only benefited the Haitian elites and their rich foreign benefactors. (20)
Aside from this, much of the money raised simply disappeared, even though at every stage of Haiti’s reconstruction—fundraising, oversight and allocation—a Clinton was involved. In sum, according to a Belgian photojournalist who has spent 10 years in Haiti, “Haitians find themselves in a social and economic situation that is worse than before the earthquake.” (21)
In April 2017 the UN announced the ending of the notorious MINUSTAH to be replaced by United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), initially for a 6 month tenure scheduled to end in April 2018. However, the coalition of grassroots organisations was dismissive of the change. Oxygen David, one of the coalition’s representatives asserted: “The new mission will not improve anything, we call on the UN to leave the country permanently.” (22)
Recent films like Tariq Nasheed’s 1804: The Hidden History of Haiti, demonstrate the continuing reverence for Haiti in the global Afrikan community. The challenge must be to convert this reverence into meaningful practical support to ensure that Haiti returns to full sovereignty.
(1) David Smith and Kevin Rawlinson (15/01/18) Trump insists ‘I am the least racist person’ amid outrage over remarks https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/15/i-am-not-a-racist-trump-says-after-backlash-over-shithole-nations-remark
(2) Justin Podur(28/07/16) Haiti 101 Years After US Invasion, Still Resisting Domination. http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/national-anti-slavery-march-take-place-london
(3) Bro. Ldr. Mbandakai (2010) Haiti: Natural Disaster or Geological Warfare? The Whirlwind, Edition 8. p. 3
(4) Ezili Dantò (10/10/16) Weather Warfare, Haiti, HAARP, Hurricane Matthew, Katrina. http://www.ezilidanto.com/2016/10/weather-warfare-haiti-hurricane-matthew/
(5) Lydia Polgreen and Tim Weiner (29/02/04) Haiti’s President Forced Out; Marines Sent to Keep Order. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/29/international/americas/haitis-president-forced-out-marines-sent-to-keep.html
(6) Ezili Dantò (14/04/17) Haiti Petition to UN Security Council On UN and UN Sex Rings3. http://www.ezilidanto.com/2017/04/un-sex-trafficking-haiti-open-letter-ambassador-nikki-haley-un-secretary-general/.
(7) Ed Pilkington and Ben Quinn (01/12/16) UN admits for first time that peacekeepers brought cholera to Haiti. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/dec/01/haiti-cholera-outbreak-stain-on-reputation-un-says
(8) Ezili Dantò (26/04/17) Haiti and the Empire’s “Collaborators”: Guy Philippe Is A Criminal, Not a Hero. https://www.globalresearch.ca/haiti-and-the-empires-collaborators-guy-philippe-is-a-criminal-not-a-hero/5587027
(9) Pilkington and Quinn. Op cit.
(10) Robert Roth (10/09/17) Haiti in crisis: What next after the stolen election?
(11) Ezili Dantò (17/07/17) Haiti Cholera: A Biological Weapon For Organ Trafficking?4
(12) Paisley Dodds (12/04/17) More than 100 UN peacekeepers ran a child sex ring in Haiti. None were ever jailed. https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/04/12/un-peacekeepers-child-sex-ring-left-victims-but-no-arrests.html
(13) Ibid.
(14) Danto (14/04/17)
(15) Michel Chossudovsky (29/02/04) US Sponsored Coup d’Etat: The Destabilization of Haiti. https://www.globalresearch.ca/us-sponsored-coup-detat-the-destabilization-of-haiti/5323726
(16) Yves Engler (31/01/14) Remembering the Overthrow of Haiti’s Jean-Bertrand Aristide. https://www.counterpunch.org/2014/01/31/remembering-the-overthrow-of-haitis-jean-bertrand-aristide/9
(17) Danto (14/04/17)
(18) Roth. Op Cit.
(19) Charlie Hinton and Haiti Action Committee (25/04/17) Dr. Maryse Narcisse: the Woman who should be President of Haiti. http://www.thedawn-news.org/2017/05/04/dr-maryse-narcisse-the-woman-who-should-be-president-of-haiti/
(20) Dady Chery (19/09/16) How the Clintons Destroyed and Impoverished Haiti: Hillary’s “Dream Government” and Haiti’s Pay-to-Play “Recovery Commission” (IHRC). https://www.globalresearch.ca/how-the-clintons-destroyed-and-impoverished-haiti-hillarys-dream-government-and-haitis-pay-to-play-recovery-commission-ihrc/5546737
(21) Nathan J. Robinson (16/11/16) What the Clintons Did to Haiti. https://www.blackagendareport.com/what_clintons_did_to_haiti
(22) hougansydney.com (16/04/17) Haitian social organizations rejected the new UN mission in Haiti MINUJUSTH .http://www.hougansydney.com/whats-happening-in-haiti/haitian-social-organizations-rejected-the-new-un-mission-in-haiti-minujusth
we ask the question:
Haiti – Will the occupation ever end?
1) Why has Haiti been occupied since 2004?
2) Will MINUJUSTH be any different to MINUSTAH?
3) Was there really an ”electoral coup” in 2017?
4) How can Haiti return to sovereignty?
5) What is the role of the global Afrikan community?
Our very special guests:
Bro. Mario Gousse: is a Haitian national who first came to prominence as a founder member and education officer of the United Haitians in the UK (UHUK) that lead the grassroots response to 2010 earthquake. He has since gone on to found the Jak The First Foundation and is an Executive Comitttee Member of the Haiti Support Group. Bro. Mario spent 2017 in Haiti and will share his on the ground reflections of the current situation in Haiti.
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