Haitian rebel forces await orders to attack capital

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, February 27, 2004

Haitian rebel forces await orders to attack capital

Haitian opposition leader Guy Philippe affirmed on Thursday rebel forces are stationed around capital Port-au-Prince and only await orders to attack the country's capital.

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Haitian opposition leader Guy Philippe affirmed on Thursday rebel forces are stationed around capital Port-au-Prince and only await orders to attack the country's capital.

"We have decided to head for Port-au-Prince ...(my forces) onlyawait the order," Philippe told the press in Haiti's northern Cap-Haitien city.

He warned that "it doesn't mean that we will attack today, but we are going to occupy our positions and wait for the right time."

He said if President Jean-Bertrand Aristide did not step down his men would arrest him. He revealed his mission was to take over the National Palace and Aristide's private Tabarre residence, in the outskirts of the capital.

The opposition leader said they aimed to "detain Aristide." "Only detain him. I don't want him to die for it would be too easy. He must pay for what he did to the Haitian people."

Meanwhile, Aristide urged the international community to help prevent a blood bath while supporters of his Lavalas Family party are setting up barricades and digging trenches to defend the capital.

Anti-Aristide groups accused the president of poor governance and corruption and demanded his immediate and unconditional resignation, but Aristide said he would hold office until his term expires in 2006 while pledging to defend constitutional order with his life.

Aristide accepted last Saturday a power-sharing plan put forward by the international community and agreed to the deployment of an international police force in the country. However, the opposition on Tuesday rejected the power-sharing plan.

The uprising that erupted on Feb. 5 has already claimed at least 80 lives. The Haitian government has lost control of the cities of Gonaives, Hinche and Cap-Haitien.

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