A band of armed men hiding out in the mountains continues to clash with Haitian police near the Dominican Republic border, but beyond reports of attacks on police stations little is known about their identities, allegiances or numbers. The Haitian government alleges the band is “the armed branch” of its political opposition, the Democratic Convergence, whose members reject the allegation and who say the government is behind the armed group. “They are former soldiers and they are part of the opposition. They want to overthrow President Jean-Bertrand Aristide,” Haitian National Police Inspector Jean Dady Simeon said. “We consider this whole thing a fake,” said Gerard Pierre-Charles, coordinator of the Organization of People in Struggle and a Convergence member. “The Lavalas government is doing this to justify its permanent and institutionalized violence against the Haitian people. We do not believe in violence.” In recent months, the Haitian National Police has come under criticism from local and international human rights groups for irregular and even illegal activities, with the U.S. government blocking the visas of several high-ranking officers for their alleged involvement in the drug trade. Full Story
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