South
Africa's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has pledged to stand
by the troubled Caribbean country of Haiti, which has since Thursday been under
siege by armed opponents to its president, arguing that the country needs to be
assisted in its quest to establish a functioning democratic system.
With
her government having come under fierce criticism from the South African official
opposition Democratic Alliance for buttressing what it sees as an undemocratic
state, she defended South Africa's -- and Africa's -- concern for the country,
which she described as the first independence state run by Africans as far back
as 1804.
Dlamini-Zuma
said Haiti had defeated variously "the British, the Spanish and the French" and
had got its freedom.
"It
was the first African republic to be freed by its own efforts," she said.
Nevertheless,
recognising that the country is the poorest in the Western hemisphere, she said
for 40 years the country has struggled "with no country [in the world] recognising
them". She also referred to Haiti having "to pay a lot of money to buy their freedom",
payments that had been made "right up to the 1940s".
She
acknowledged that Haiti never has been able to establish "a proper democracy"
and now there is the problem of opposition parties not accepting the environment
for an election while the government is offering to have elections.
"There
is quite a polarisation between [the] government and opposition parties," she
said.
President
Thabo Mbeki attended the bicentenary celebrations earlier this year and provided
R10-million as a gift to the country.
Embattled
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide -- whose term ends in 2006 -- has faced a rocky
two years since his party swept legislative elections in 2000. The opposition
is seeking his resignation. -- I-Net Bridge
A chronology of key events:
Source
BBC
1492
- Christopher Columbus lands and names the island Hispaniola, or Little Spain.
 |
PORT-AU-PRINCE
Haiti's capital has suffered earthquakes, political strife
Became colonial capital in 1770
Estimated metro population: 1.5 million |
1496 - Spanish establish first European settlement in western hemisphere
at Santo Domingo, now capital of Dominican Republic. 1697
- Spain cedes western part of Hispaniola to France, and this becomes Haiti, or
Land of Mountains.
1801
- A former black slave who became a guerrilla leader, Toussaint Louverture, conquers
Haiti, abolishing slavery and proclaiming himself governor-general of an autonomous
government over all Hispaniola.
1802
- French force led by Napoleon's brother-in-law, Charles Leclerc, fails to conquer
Haitian interior.
Independence
1804
- Haiti becomes independent; former slave Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares himself
emperor.
1806 - Dessalines assassinated and Haiti divided into a black-controlled
north and a mulatto-ruled south
1818-43
- Pierre Boyer unifies Haiti, but excludes blacks from power.
1915
- US invades Haiti following black-mulatto friction, which it thought endangered
its property and investments in the country.
1934
- US withdraws troops from Haiti, but maintains fiscal control until 1947.
Duvalier
dictatorships
1956
- Voodoo physician Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier seizes power in military coup
and is elected president a year later.
1964
- Duvalier declares himself president-for-life and establishes a dictatorship
with the help of the Tontons Macoute militia.
1971
- Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude, or "Baby
Doc", who also declares himself president-for-life.
1986
- Baby Doc flees Haiti in the wake of mounting popular discontent and is replaced
by Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy as head of a governing council.
1988
- Leslie Manigat becomes president, but is ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General
Prosper Avril, who installs a civilian government under military control.
Democracy,
coup and intervention
1990
- Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected president.
1991
- Aristide ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Raoul Cedras, triggering
sanctions by the US and the Organisation of American States.
|
DUVALIER
YEARS
"Baby
Doc" Duvalier retained his father's brutal methods
Born in 1951
Succeeded "Papa Doc" in 1971
Fled to France in 1986 |
1993 - UN imposes sanctions after the Haitian military regime rejected
an accord facilitating Aristide's return. 1994
- Haitian military regime relinquishes power in the face of an imminent US invasion;
US forces land in Haiti peacefully to oversee a transition to civilian government;
Aristide returns.
1995
- UN peacekeepers begin to replace US troops; Aristide supporters win parliamentary
elections; Rene Preval elected in December to replace Aristide as president.
1996 - Preval
sworn in as president.
1997-99
- Serious political deadlock; new government named.
1999
- Preval declares that parliament's term has expired and begins ruling by decree
following a series of disagreements with deputies.
Aristide's second term
2000
November - Aristide elected president for a second non-consecutive term, amid
allegations of irregularities.
2001
July - Presidential spokesman accuses former army officers of trying to overthrow
the government after armed men attack three locations, killing four police officers.
2001 December - 30 armed men try to seize the National Palace in an apparent
coup attempt; 12 people are killed in the raid, which the government blames on
former army members.
2002
July - Haiti is approved as a full member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom)
trade bloc.
2003
April - Voodoo recognised as a religion, on a par with other faiths.
2003 July -
Inter-American Development Bank resumes loan programme, raising hopes for further
international support.
2004
January - Celebrations marking 200 years of independence are marred by escalating
violence and protests against President Aristide's rule.
2004
February - Anti-Aristide rebels seize control of city of Gonaives. Authorities
regain control of city of Saint-Marc.
