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U.S. Department of state
93/10/11 Statement on US Response to Events in Haiti
Office of the Spokesman
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
For Immediate Release October 11, 1993
STATEMENT BY
SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER
ON U.S. RESPONSE TO EVENTS IN HAITI
OCTOBER 11, 1993
President Clinton, from the outset of his administration, has strongly
supported efforts of the United Nations and the Organization of American
States to bring about a return to constitutional government and
President Aristide to his duly elected position in Haiti.
On July 3 at Governor's Island, President Aristide and General Cedras
agreed to a transition process that would culminate in the return of
President Aristide on October 30, 1993. Part of that agreement extended
an invitation to the international community to deploy a contingent who
would assist with the professionalization of the military and police and
help encourage them to support the duly constituted government.
Part of this international presence is to include U.S. and Canadian
military engineers and their logistical support. They are going to Haiti
to help professionalize the Haitian military by training in basic
military skills and by civic action, such as assistance on construction
projects. They are not going to perform a peacekeeping mission.
By agreement of all the parties to the Governor's Island accords, this
international contingent was to be offered a peaceful environment with
the full support of the local police and military organizations they
would be training and assisting.
Those promises have not been kept. Elaborate arrangements for the
berthing of an American landing craft, the Harlan County, were not in
place when it arrived today off Port au Prince. The appropriate
officials were not on hand to greet the LST and there have been
provocative demonstrations in the port area that were not restrained by
the police or the military. We believe the current situation does not
justify docking the ship at this time.
There are signs throughout Haiti that those who wish to thwart the
return of democracy are testing the government of Prime Minister Malval
and, as important, the will of the international community. They are
willing to put self-interest in the way of history and of changes that
will benefit all the Haitian people. We believe the people of Haiti
will find their behavior unacceptable.
We insist that the Haitian military and police authorities create a
permissive environment and permit the peaceful entry into Haiti of the
military engineers, trainers and support staff that are there to help
the people of Haiti. In the view of the United States, failure to do so
would put them in violation of the Governor's Island accords to which
they are parties.
Moreover, in light of these disturbing developments in Haiti, the United
States will move today in the United Nations Security Council to ask the
Secretary General for an urgent report on the situation in Haiti and for
prompt consideration of appropriate consequences for a failure to comply
with the Governor's Island accords, including the possible reimposition
of economic sanctions which would focus heavily on those most
responsible. Our Ambassador at the United Nations, Madeleine Albright,
will raise these points at a meeting of the Security Council this
afternoon.
The UN mission in Haiti that the U.S. will assist is a mission of peace.
That mission requires the support of Haitian authorities. If they do
not meet their responsibilities to the international community and to
the people of Haiti that will benefit from this work, then they will
bear the burden of the consequences that will follow.
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