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Dictators' musical chairs
04/03/2004 14:29 - (SA)
Liesl Louw
Johannesburg - It's not unusual for former heads of state to spend their twilight years outside their country.
Over the past few years a number of them have sought asylum in friendly African countries, in what resembles of musical chairs as former leaders move from one country to the next.
Former dictators like Mobutu Sese Seko of the Democratic Republic of Congo (at the time Zaire) and Idi Amin of Uganda, died in exile. Mobutu was granted asylum in Morocco and Amin in Saudi Arabia.
Former president Charles Taylor of Liberia has been living in Nigeria since August last year, former president Mengistu Haile Mariam of Ethiopia in Zimbabwe since 1991 and Chad's former president Hissein Habré has been in Senegal since 1990. Meanwhile former president Ange-Felix Patassé of the Central African Republic has been living in Togo since March 2003.
Experts, however, stress that Aristide has not been guilty of human rights abuses and that his departure from Haiti had been controversial.
Moral obligation
Some believe South Africa has a moral obligation to shelter Aristide and that the action was unlikely to tarnish South Africa's international image.
Asked for comment, Human rights organisation Amnesty International, which had earlier strongly opposed asylum for dictators such as Mengistu, said it was reserving judgement on Aristide for the time being. Indications are that the issue of Aristide is less clear cut than that of a Mengistu.
Tom Wheeler of the South African Institute for International Affairs says granting political leaders asylum was a political rather than a legal issue.
Wheeler disagrees with DA leader Tony Leon, who had said earlier that the South African Constitution prohibits granting refugee status to a person guilty of crimes against peace, war crimes or human rights abuses.
Leon maintains the law excludes refugees whose actions clash with United Nations (UN) or African Union principles and he argues Aristide is guilty of these.
Wheeler believes South Africa has a moral obligation to give Aristide refuge after President Thabo Mbeki's open support during Haiti's independence celebrations last year.
"Mbeki has to accept responsibility for his actions at the time."
A lousy ruler, but...
Wheeler maintains Aristide cannot be compared to Mengistu or Taylor. "Mengistu allowed mass starvation. Aristide was a lousy ruler, but by no stretch of the imagination you can call him a dictator."
Dr Garth le Pere of the Intitute for Global Dialogue says there are international conventions which allow former heads of state to be granted asylum on humanitarian grounds.
"The Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Commonwealth (Caricom) Secretariat, however, have to lodge a formal request for Aristide to be granted asylum."
Jamaica, which currently chairs Caricom, has requested an urgent meeting to discuss Aristide's future.
Le Pere notes that Morocco, a Muslim country, had refused Aristide asylum, presumably on religious grounds. He is a former Catholic priest.
Morocco, in consultation with France, gave Mobutu refuge from May to December 1997, since his presence in France at the time would have been an embarrassment.
Temporary refuge
Le Pere believes Aristide might be given temporary refuge in South Africa and could even return to Haiti in a few years' time if there is another change of government. He points out that Haiti's former dictator, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, who is currently living in France, now wants to return to Haiti, since things have changed there.
He maintains Aristide cannot be termed a dictator. He had been a leader of the oppressed who came to power in an unstable and polarised situation.
"Haiti is no easy country to rule. Politics are marked by thuggery and small armed groups and gangs."
He believes that after the failed November 2000 election it would have been appropriate for Aristide to initiate dialogue with other parties, instead of entrenching his autocratic rule.
Chris Landsberg of the Centre for Policy Studies believes Aristide did not hand over power voluntarily, but was forced out by a "coup d'etat".
"Aristide is the first elected leader to be ousted - not by the masses but by rebels and international intervention."
Landsberg says Aristide did not have sufficient time to pursue normal channels to seek asylum and was bundled into an aircraft by US forces without being told where he was heading.
"This is all about US and French global influence."
The US and France opposed Aristide when he said those countries should pay some reparations for slavery. "I don't have a problem if he comes to South Africa," says Landsberg.
And what about Mugabe?
Landsberg says in an African context there is " a fine line and a trade-off between justice and order".
Some believe former heads of state should be prosecuted for their transgressions. Last year, for example, Human Rights Watch wanted South Africa to arrest Mengistu when he was treated in hospital here. However, he quietly returned to Zimbabwe.
Landsberg says when African Union heads of state decided last year that Taylor was to leave his country and seek asylum in Nigeria, the purpose had been to restore peace in Liberia.
"If Robert Mugabe says he wants to retire in 18 months and wants to live in South Africa, what are we to do? If it results in peace being restored in Zimbabwe should we accept him?"
Lansberg believes it is unlikely the international community would pay attention to calls by certain rebels to hand over Aristide to Haiti to stand trial there.
"Chances are slim South Africa would support calls for his extradition."
Responding to whether granting Aristide asylum would be likely to damage South Africa's image, Wheeler said the US and France regularly grant asylum to ousted heads of state and they do not see it in a negative light.
On the local front however, it might become a political talking point.
Le Pere maintains South Africa is only likely to grant Aristide refuge after discussion with the US and France. He also believes granting Aristide asylum wouldn't tarnish South Africa's image internationally.
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