Le gouvernement américain est prêt à s’engager , de même que l’ONU, sur le long terme en Haïti , a annoncé le secrétaire d’Etat, Colin Powell . Dans une interview exclusive accordée à Radio Métropole, le 5 avril dernier , M. Powell a insisté sur le désarmement en vue de créer un climat de sécurité propice au développement, tout ceci sous le leadership d’un gouvernement responsable. Le Département d’Etat américain vient de publier un article accompagné de l’intégralité de l’entrevue sur son site. 07 April 2004 :Powell Says U.S. Committed to Haiti’s Long-Term Development Stresses importance of responsible government and disarmament The United States is committed to the long-term development of Haiti, Secretary of State Colin Powell said in an April 5 interview with Radio Metropole’s Rotchild Francois. Powell emphasized the importance of responsible government and disarmament in Haiti. In the radio interview conducted during his April 5 visit to Haiti, Powell noted that the United States recently had committed $55 million in economic and other assistance to Haiti. He said the United States also plans to work with international financial institutions, other international organizations, and the European Union to provide additional assistance to Haiti. Powell acknowledged that it will take « a long time » to foster Haitian development, to create jobs and to build the economy, but indicated that « the United States is committed for that long a time. » U.S. and international support notwithstanding, he said, Haiti’s future development is largely dependent on the establishment of a transparent government and an economic environment conducive to trade and investment. « The most important thing is to put in place a responsible government that is not corrupt so that you can invite and encourage people to come invest in Haiti, to build factories in Haiti, create jobs in Haiti, » Powell said. « Haiti just doesn’t want aid; Haiti wants, needs trade — trade that will help create jobs, investment that will help create jobs. » Powell said the disarmament of gangs and criminals also will be necessary to ensure both Haiti’s development and the support of the international community. « This is the time for Haitians to put down weapons, » the secretary said. He encouraged all Haitians to speak out against the carrying of weapons and to inform international peacekeepers where caches of weapons are hidden. Without this popular support, Powell said, disarmament efforts will fail. « The disarmament process will not work unless the Haitian people stand up and say: ‘Enough! We don’t want the past repeating itself; we don’t want what we had in the past in our future; we are moving to a different kind of future — a future of no corruption, honesty, a future where we will have an elected government that represents the interest of the people,' » he said. Powell urged Haitians to have faith in the future of Haiti. He said that the United States and the international community want to help the nation rebuild and to help every Haitian achieve his or her dreams. Following is a transcript of Powell’s interview: (begin transcript) Secretary of State Colin L. Powell’s Interview on Radio Métropole with Rotchild François, Jr. (also serving as a stringer for Voice of America) April 5, 2004 Presidential Palace Port-au-Prince, Haiti MR. FRANÇOIS: Let’s talk about some issues, because in Haiti, specifically — Mr. Powell, welcome to this interview. Thanks for according me this interview for Radio Métropole. And how do you judge the situation in Haiti one month after Aristide’s departure? SECRETARY POWELL: I think we succeeded in preventing a great loss of life by President Aristide’s resignation and by the introduction of multinational forces. So after six weeks, the country is quieter, security is better but not perfect, things are more stable, air traffic has resumed. We are working on a peacekeeping force that will come in in a couple of months’ time, and we are starting now to flow humanitarian aid and more economic assistance into Haiti. There are many difficult days ahead and a lot more work to be done, but I’m pleased with the progress that we have seen in the first six weeks. A new interim government is in place and they have already made decisions with respect to elections in 2005, to put in place someone who will fight corruption, a truth and reconciliation committee. A great deal has been accomplished in just six weeks, but there is a lot more that has to be done, and the United States is committed to help the Haitian people. MR. FRANÇOIS: Mr. Powell, security is still a concern for the Haitian people. And as you know, the national police forces have [inaudible]. How does the U.S. want to help regarding training and also equipment for the national police forces? SECRETARY POWELL: We want to help. As you know, we contributed a great deal in 1994 and ’95, to the training and equipping of the Haitian National Police, and we were sorry to see that much of that training was not used and much of the equipment was not used properly. So we’re prepared to help again. But at the time that President Aristide left, the Haitian National Police had pretty much been corrupted and destroyed. And so we do have a large rebuilding task ahead, and the United States will try to get international support, as well as United States support to professionalize and equip the Haitian National Police to become a force that the Haitian people can be proud of. MR. FRANÇOIS: When do you expect to do that? SECRETARY POWELL: We have allocated over $55 million in aid this year, and we will be sending expert teams down over the next couple of weeks to begin working with different parts of the government to include the Haitian National Police, Coast Guard, other parts of the government to see how we can help, what the needs are, make a good assessment of the needs, and then we’ll start to apply resources to those needs. MR. FRANÇOIS: So what do you think about the integration of former ex-rebels in the police and also former military members? SECRETARY POWELL: I think anybody who has been guilty of crimes against the Haitian people, anybody who is corrupt, anybody who has participated in violent activities against the Haitian people or continues to talk about violence as a way of solving political disputes, I don’t think such persons should have a future in the Haitian National Police or in the Haitian government. I hope the Haitian people will speak out against such individuals and let their government know that they want no more corruption, no more criminals, no more perpetrators of violence running their affairs. MR. FRANÇOIS: If there are some former members of the army, former ex-rebels, they are — and the integrating is clean, and do you think they will be part of the National Police process? SECRETARY POWELL: This is a decision for the Haitian government to make. But I think if somebody served in the Haitian armed forces some years ago, and served honorably and did nothing to dishonor himself or Haiti, then certainly he should be looked at — vetted, as we say, make sure that he is honest, non-corrupt, committed to the future government of Haiti and committed to serve. But this is a matter that the Haitian people have to work out through their government offices, not a decision for the United States to make. We will help the Haitian National Police in vetting these people to see what we know about them, information that we think a Haitian National Police authority should know before hiring any of these people. MR. FRANÇOIS: So in Haiti right now, some sector said, Mr. Powell, they should reinstate the army. So what do you think? SECRETARY POWELL: Right now, we need the police to be rebuilt. We don’t need an army now; we need a police force, and I hope that that will be the first priority. It’s up to the Haitian people to decide what kind of institutions they need, but any discussion of an army, I think, should come much, much later, after there has been an election, after an elected government is in place. Let’s focus on the police force right now. That’s what the Haitian people need: professional, confident, equipped police force. MR. FRANÇOIS: Do you have a message for people still getting weapons in Haiti right now? SECRETARY POWELL: This is the time for Haitian to put down weapons; let the weapons only be in the hands of a police force, the multinational force and the peacekeepers. Weapons in the hands of gangs, weapons in the hands of criminals or drugs traffickers just put Haiti at greater risk of failure. The international community will not come in and support Haitian development if gangs have guns, if criminals are running around with guns. I encourage all Haitians to speak out against this kind of violence and the carrying of weapons. I invite all Haitians and ask all Haitians to let the multinational force let the peacekeepers know, let the Haitian National Police know where caches [of weapons] are hidden, or where gangs have these guns, and give us the chance to try to disarm these people. We need the intelligence of the Haitian National Police. We need the intelligence also of the location of weapons so that the disarmament process can go forward, but the disarmament process will not work unless the Haitian people stand up and say: ‘Enough! We don’t want the past repeating itself; we don’t want what we had in the past in our future; we are moving to a different kind of future — a future of no corruption, honesty, a future where we will have an elected government that represents the interest of the people.’ And gangs and drugs lords and criminals have no place in that future. It’s up to the Haitian people — not the military or peacekeeping forces — to solve this problem. [If] the Haitian people want it solved, they have to solve it. MR. FRANÇOIS: Secretary Powell, the U.N. special envoy in Haiti, Mr. Reginald Dumas, said the U.N. should stay, should remain in Haiti for about 20 years. I just want to know — the Haitian people want to know — if the U.S. intends to remain engaged in Haiti for such a period? SECRETARY POWELL: I don’t know how long it will take. The United States has been engaged in Haiti for many years. Our histories have been interrelated for the part of the last century. We have spent close to $900 million in Haiti over the last 7 or 8 years, so we are prepared for the long run, and the U.N. is preparing itself for a long run. It’s going to take a long time to bring Haitian development along, to create jobs, to build up the economy, whether it’s 20 years, 10 years. I don’t know the answer to those questions, but it is going to take a long time. The United States is committed for that long a time. MR. FRANÇOIS: Secretary Powell, the economic situation is terrible right now in Haiti and a lot of people in the private sector said that we are facing a « Lavalas cyclone » in Haiti, so how does the U.S. intend to help the Haitian people rebuild their economy to make this situation stable? SECRETARY POWELL: One, we have, as I mentioned, $55 million of economic and other assistance coming, we are going to make further contributions to [fight] HIV/AIDS, we are going to work with the international financial institutions and we are going to work with the European Union and other international organizations to provide assistance to Haiti. But the most important thing is to put in place a responsible government that is not corrupt, so that you can invite and encourage people to come invest in Haiti, to build factories in Haiti, create jobs in Haiti. Haiti just doesn’t want aid; Haiti wants, needs trade — trade that will help create jobs, investment that will help create jobs. MR. FRANÇOIS: Do you think the U.S. is going to help in this field? SECRETARY POWELL: Yes, the U.S. will help. MR. FRANÇOIS: Secretary Powell, some members of the private sector say that the U.S. administration should push the U.S. Congress to pass a bill — the Hero Act. SECRETARY POWELL: We have the Hero Act before Congress now, and when I go back to Washington this week, I will be examining with my staff what additional support we can provide to the Congress to make a judgment on the side. We would like to see the Act passed and I will be examining and discussing it this week with our Congress. MR. FRANÇOIS: And also, Prime Minister Latortue, and he said two weeks ago, they will create a fund for the recapitalization of the private sector because this sector is facing a lot of trouble right now, after Aristide and « Lavalas tornado » in February — so, how are you going to help? SECRETARY POWELL: This is possibly a challenge for the international community. We have been working with the IMF, the World Bank and others, to see how we can help recapitalize the private sector, because we know there was a great deal of thievery that took place at the end of February. MR. FRANÇOIS: Secretary Powell, politically, this government is facing a problem with CARICOM; you know CARICOM doesn’t want to recognize this government, so what do you think about that and how will the U.S. help this government to obtain recognition from CARICOM? SECRETARY POWELL: I will be working with CARICOM and with the individual nations of CARICOM to let them come to the realization that this government now here is legitimate and represents the desire of the Haitian people. And I hope that over the next couple of months that CARICOM will change its position and welcome Haiti fully into the CARICOM consensus. MR. FRANÇOIS: And my last question, Secretary Powell — do you have a message for the Haitian people right now in this new era? SECRETARY POWELL: Have faith! Have faith; there are many people in the world, many governments in the world who want to help you. The United States wants to help the Haitian people. President Bush is providing additional economic assistance. We have troops here to help with security. All of this is for the purpose of providing security to the Haitian people, so we can begin once again, rebuild Haitian society, Haitian economy and help every Haitian achieve his or her dreams. We only want the best for the Haitian people and that’s why we are here and that’s why we are engaged. MR. FRANÇOIS: Thank you so much. SECRETARY POWELL: You’re welcome. Thank you. (end transcript) (Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
Les Etats-Unis comptent s’engager sur le long terme en Haïti
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