UN troops surround rebels in Aristide's former home

(17 Dec 2004) SHOTLIST

1. Wide of United Nations military convoy moving towards occupied home
2. UN soldier watching movement of military units
3. Haitian national police officers on patrol in the streets
4. UN vehicles moving
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlos Shargas, MINUSTAH (UN Mission to Haiti) spokesman
"Today, the former military (rebels) continues to occupy the house of former President Aristide. Minustah (UN Mission to Haiti) received a former request from the government of Haiti to re-occupy the house. Right now, we have a Brazilian brigade from the military force on the scene, we have started the negotiation phase to address the situation. We, as much as possible, want a peaceful solution to this situation. We would like to reinforce that Minustah is here to support the Haitian national government and to support the restoration of law and order. And one of the most important things also to support national reconciliation and we will do all we can to reinforce law and order and reconciliation here."
6. UN truck on the move
7. UN soldiers in roof tops watching event
8. Haitian national police patrols on the move
9. UN personnel carriers on the move
10. Various of UN troops preparing gear (Brazilian soldiers)
11. Haitian government civilian vehicle on the move

STORYLINE

With hundreds of United Nations troops and Haitian police at the ready, government negotiators on Thursday met ex-soldiers who seized the abandoned estate of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

A three-member government negotiating team arrived at the scene in the afternoon, a UN official said on condition of anonymity.

They negotiated with several rebels on the street outside the house, then left after less than two hours, the official said.

A single gunshot cracked about an hour before the negotiating team arrived, but it was unclear who fired it.

Dozens of ex-soldiers who led a three-week rebellion that forced Aristide to flee the country in February took over the compound on Wednesday.

Haiti's interim government warned the rebels to leave the compound in Tabarre, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, because it belongs to the state, but the men refused to go.

"The transitional government will take all necessary steps to put an end to this intolerable situation with the assistance of the ... UN stabilisation force," the government said in a statement.

A spokesman for the Brazilian force leading the peacekeepers said they did not plan to storm the estate.

Carlos Shargas, a spokesman for the UN Mission to Haiti, said they were negotiating with the rebels in order to find "a peaceful solution to the situation".

About a mile (kilometre) of road leading to the compound was blocked off with several UN armoured vehicles barricading the entrance.

The interim government fired the appointed mayor and two deputy mayors of Tabarre, who reportedly handed Aristide's residence over to the soldiers, the UN mission said.

The ex-soldiers, whose previous base was in suburban Petionville, claim that Haiti's ill-equipped police force of only four thousand is not able to provide security in the Caribbean country of eight (M) million people, and offered their services.

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