Liberia offers home to Duvalier family

Press, 13 February 1986, Page 10

Liberia offers home to Duvalier family

NZPA-AP

Monrovia, Liberia The ousted Haitian President, Jean-Claude Duvalier, and his family are welcome to settle in Liberia, the official Liberian News Agency quoted the Foreign Minister, Mr Bernard Blamo, as saying yesterday.

“Liberia has not been asked to give asylum to Duvalier, but would have no objection should a request be placed and forwarded to us,” Mr Blamo said.

Mr Duvalier fled Haiti last Friday with his family and close aides. “Liberia and Haiti have a long history of friendly and cordial relations,” Mr Blamo said.

No other country has publicly indicated willingness to accept Mr Duvalier.

In Talloires, France, where Mr Duvalier and his entourage have temporary asylum, about 10 members of the group of family members, aides and security guards were

reported to have left their luxury hotel yesterday.

Hotel workers said about 12 members of the original Duvalier party remained at the 40-room hotel.

In the northern Haitian city of Gonaives, tens of thousands of people converged to cheer and try to touch a secret hero of the rebellion, Jean Tatoun, aged 24, who can neither read nor write.

The revolt against the Duvalier Government began in Gonaives, where Haiti declared its independence from France in 1804. Eighteen months ago three students were shot dead in the city while staging a peaceful protest.

Mr Tatoun and six friends started an underground war against the Tontons Macoutes. Soon Mr Tatoun became one of the most hunted men in Haiti, and with last week’s overthrow of Mr Duvalier, one of its heroes.

Hospital sources said angry crowds killed more than 30 members of the

scret police after Mr Duvalier’s overthrow. The interim Government suspects that up to 200 guerrillas have been infiltrated into the country from Cuba to upset the new junta. Military officials were not certain whether the suspected infiltrators were all Cubans, or included some Haitians who fled to Cuba earlier to escape the Duvalier regime.

Leaders of the 8000strong Haitian Army were concerned about possible infiltration because “a highly trained guerrilla band . could cause major problems.” Haiti has no history of Communism.

The ruling council is also threatened with growing unrest among Haitians, many of whom feel that Mr Duvalier has merely been replaced by his own henchmen.

An unsigned document was circulated throughout the capital listing 25 demands from “the Haitian people.”

They included the extradition of Mr Duvalier from France to stand trial in Haiti, the removal of two of the six members of the military-civilian junta, the formation of an entirely new cabinet “representing the nation,” the trial of the Tontons Macoutes, and the arrest of anyone who diverted public funds during the 28 years of the Duvalier family rule. Meanwhile, Government troops and the police continued to round up members of the Tontons.

Haiti’s border with the Dominican Republic remained closed and incoming passenger flights were banned from the international airport. In spite of the past week’s turmoil, foreigners have not rushed to leave, and special flights sent to take them out departed on Wednesday with empty seats.

Officials estimated there were about 6000 Americans on the island.