Aristide writing tell-all book

2004-06-22 11:05

Pretoria - Nearly a month after he began life in exile in South Africa, former Haitian leader Jean Bertrand Aristide is putting the final touches to a tell-all book about his hasty exit from his island country.

Aristide lashed out at Paris and Washington for driving him out of office four months ago and called for a "peaceful resistance to the occupation" in his country.

"I have 95 percent completed a book regarding my kidnapping, putting it in a global context. I have written this since leaving Haiti," he said during the interview held at the South African diplomatic guest house on Monday.

"In 1804, they - France and the United States - didn't accept Haiti as the first independent black republic," he said. "In 2004, they have attempted to isolate us again by mounting a coup. The message is clear. We fought peacefully for 200 years of freedom and democracy. We must continue peaceful resistance to the occupation."

Aristide, 50, fled a popular revolt in Haiti in late February, travelling to the Central African Republic and later Jamaica before arriving in South Africa on May 31 with his wife Mildred and his two daughters.

While he was warmly welcomed by the South African government, Aristide has kept a low profile since his arrival, venturing out for Sunday mass in a township and granting only a few interviews.

Dressed in a black suit and looking relaxed, Aristide continues to press for a UN investigation into his claims that United States and France forced him to resign, although his appeals appear to be making little headway at the United Nations.

Aristide said he met with Jamaican Foreign Minister Kenneth Knight at the weekend to discuss the diplomatic campaign for the investigation, which is supported by 15 Caribbean countries, the 53-member African Union and the Organisation of American States.

"I am prepared to give evidence to that investigation," he said.

Aristide spoke in a relaxed tone about his life in exile in South Africa, saying he fills his days with reading and writing ... and learning Zulu in a show of gratitude to his hosts.

"One way to show respect is to learn Zulu. I have books and I'm learning. I may have a teacher in future, but for the moment I am learning by myself," he said.

Aristide said he tells his daughters, aged seven and five, that they will return to Haiti "one day".

- AFP