African leader undecided whether exiled Haitian leader can leave

A delegation of African-American and Jamaican officials arrived Sunday in the African country on a chartered jet to escort Aristide to temporary asylum in Jamaica. Ira Kurzban, Aristide's lawyer, and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. were among the group.

The delegation met with Central African President Joseph Bozize, said Amy Goodman of Pacifica Radio's Democracy Now! radio and television program, who accompanied the group on the plane.

Kurzban reported that Bozize said he would tell them within an hour whether Aristide could leave, Goodman said.

Aristide had claimed he was forced from power by the United States and was being held prisoner at Bozize's presidential palace. But those allegations were denied by the United States and France, the former colonizer of Central African Republic and Haiti, which said Aristide was a free man.

In recent days, U.S. officials have criticized Jamaica for offering to host Aristide, saying the prospect has raised tensions in Haiti. Aristide left Haiti Feb. 29 under pressure from a monthlong rebellion.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/03/14/international1813EST0590.DTL

Team to fetch Aristide lands in Central Africa
A delegation of US and Jamaican lawmakers has landed in the Central African Republic to whisk exiled Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide back to the Caribbean from his temporary African home.

Jamaican lawmaker Sharon Hay Webster told reporters the group's goal was to arrange for the ousted leader, who fled an armed revolt in Haiti two weeks ago, to see his two young US-based children in Jamaica.

While Mr Aristide has not been granted asylum in Jamaica, the planned visit has been slammed by Haiti for stoking tensions there as US and French troops battle to restore order.

Haiti's interim Prime Minister, Gerard Latortue, said allowing Mr Aristide to visit Jamaica, just 180 kilometres from Haitian shores, would be an "unfriendly act".

After landing in the Central African Republic's capital Bangui, the delegation went to the presidential palace, where Mr Aristide has been living in an apartment with his wife.

A government official in Bangui said it was unlikely the delegation would leave before Monday as President Francois Bozize would want to see them.

Mr Bozize grabbed power in a coup d'etat on March 15 last year and Monday's anniversary is set to be a day of celebrations in Bangui.

Mr Aristide, a former parish priest regarded as a messiah by many of the poor he championed but accused of despotism and corruption by his enemies, says he is still Haiti's elected president and was forced out of office by US troops.

The delegation includes Randall Robinson, the former head of black US lobbying group TransAfrica, and US congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Mr Robinson has said Mr Aristide was kidnapped by US forces.

The US says he resigned and left voluntarily.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1065845.htm