Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9410030078
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI LENGTH: Medium
Near the Cite Soleil slum Saturday, private guards at a food warehouse owned by a businessman with army connections opened fire on hundreds of looters, wounding at least five people. Since Thursday, mobs have targeted shops and warehouses owned by soldiers or businessmen allied to them.
Violence between pro-army militiamen and pro-democracy crowds has killed at least 13 people and wounded at least 110 in the past three days.
Pro-democracy leaders called off a rally Saturday because of fears they would be attacked by heavily armed militiamen.
American soldiers have not intervened in the clashes, though they have attempted to prevent some looting. U.S. soldiers entered the besieged warehouse Saturday night and seized 12 shotguns from private guards and the owner's relatives. As darkness fell, hundreds of angry Haitians remained outside.
The warehouse belongs to Woody Chemaly, a pro-army businessman involved in contraband. His wife, who refused to give her first name, defended the shooting of looters, and said of those wounded, ``It wasn't enough.''
``They broke the gates to come in, and we had to shoot at them,'' she said. ``This is private sector property and it will be protected from people who came to loot in the name of democracy.'' Former New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly arrived in the Haitian capital Saturday to lead a team of international monitors who will try to rebuild this nation's police force.
Kelly and the officers from 27 nations, who will work with U.S. military police to monitor the Haitian force, face an enormous task . There have been almost 4,000 violent deaths in the three years of military rule.
by CNB