U.S. Marines in Haiti, Aristide flees to Africa

U.S. Marines in Haiti, Aristide flees to Africa

Jim Loney and Alistair Scrutton, Reuters, Port-au-Prince

U.S. Marines flew into the chaotic Haitian capital after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide fled into exile in Africa on Monday, driven out by a bloody revolt and foreign pressure.

The sounds of gunfire, looting and celebration rang out in Port-au-Prince as Aristide was escorted to the airport on Sunday by heavily-armed U.S. guards. He arrived early on Monday in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, witnesses said.

South Africa said it would consider a request for political asylum from Aristide but had not yet received one.

Just minutes after the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of a multinational force, the first of several hundred Marines ordered in by U.S. President George W. Bush arrived in Port-au-Prince to prevent armed insurgents making a grab for power.

"This is the beginning of a new chapter in the country's history," Bush said.

Aristide -- whose battle to end decades of dictatorship once made him a hero of Haitian democracy but has since faced accusations of corruption and political violence -- said he had resigned to avert "a bloodbath".

Within hours, Haitian Chief Justice Boniface Alexandre was named to replace him as laid out in the constitution.

Mayhem gripped the ramshackle capital of 2 million people -- a quarter of Haiti's impoverished population. Looters ransacked stores, hard-core criminals escaped from prison and the first rebels to arrive went on a wild ride around town in pickup trucks, hugging the people they came to liberate.

Bush ordered the deployment of U.S. Marines to serve as the vanguard of a multinational security force. It was the third major deployment of U.S. troops to Haiti in the past century. Ten years ago President Bill Clinton sent 20,000 Marines to restore Aristide to power after he had been ousted in a coup.

More than 120 French troops were due to arrive on Monday, and Canada, which has about 50 troops in Haiti, said it could send another 100 at short notice. Brazil is expected to contribute to the force, given an initial three-month mandate.

Aristide, 50, left after an uprising that began 24 days ago crept close to Port-au-Prince.

The United States, which along with former colonial power France had called on Aristide to quit to help bring an end to the crisis in the poorest country in the Americas, urged rebels to lay down their arms.

The rebels promised to cooperate and stop fighting. Guy Philippe, an ex-police chief accused of fomenting earlier coup attempts and who joined the revolt, told CNN's "Late Edition" program he welcomed the Marines.

"We are waiting for them. We need them," Philippe said. "They will have full cooperation."

The rebellion, which capped months of simmering political tension, began in the western city of Gonaives, led by a street gang that once supported Aristide.

It spread over the north of the country and killed more than 70 people, including at least five men found dead in Port-au- Prince on Sunday as opponents of the president hunted down his dreaded "chimeres" -- street toughs armed by Aristide to enforce his will in the country's sprawling slums.

The departure of Aristide, who had insisted he would serve out his second term to 2006, was arranged by U.S. officials.

He initially traveled to the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, and then to the eastern Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda.

Witnesses in the Central African Republic said they saw Aristide arrive at Mpoko airport in Bangui on Monday. It was not clear if he planned to seek refuge in the impoverished nation.

South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad told reporters his country would consider any request for political asylum from Aristide.

"If and when this happens, cabinet will have to take a decision," Pahad said.

South Africa -- which holds national elections on April 14 in which asylum for the former Haitian leader could become a campaign issue -- had backed Aristide and said on Sunday his forced departure from power did "not bode well for democracy".

The Caribbean Community, which had been at the forefront of efforts to broker peace, deplored Aristide's "removal" and questioned the constitutionality of his replacement by Alexandre as there was no parliament to approve it.