Authorities in Haiti hold former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated him

Source: Associated Press

Authorities in Haiti hold former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated him

BY EVENS SANON
Updated 3:23 PM EST, December 1, 2023

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Authorities in Haiti held former rebel leader Guy Philippe on Friday at a police station where he remained a day after the the United States repatriated him to Haiti, his lawyer said.

Philippe is a convicted money launderer who played a key role in the 2004 rebellion against former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and also was accused of masterminding attacks on police stations and other targets.

Philippe has an outstanding warrant stemming from a 2016 fatal attack on a police station in the southern coastal city of Les Cayes, police officials told The Associated Press on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Philippe was being held under observation, that usually lasts 48 hours, but he has not been charged and no hearing has been held, attorney Jean Joseph Louicher told reporters gathered outside the police station.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/haiti-guy-philippe-us-eb4a97bd77b45c4f63be542a8345ac06

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Source: Associated Press

Coup leader Guy Philippe repatriated to Haiti as many question his next role in country in upheaval

BY EVENS SANON AND DÁNICA COTO
Updated 4:55 PM EST, November 30, 2023

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Notorious coup leader Guy Philippe returned to Haiti on Thursday after the U.S. government repatriated him, sparking concerns that his presence could unleash further upheaval in a country already reeling from gang violence and political instability.

It wasn’t clear what role, if any, Philippe expected to play upon his return to Haiti, which is under siege by gangs that grew extremely powerful in the political vacuum created by the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

Philippe was a charismatic leader who was instrumental in the 2004 rebellion against former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and had powerful ties to police, politicians and the business elite, said Robert Fatton, a Haitian politics expert and professor at the University of Virginia.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/haiti-guy-philippe-repatriated-us-1d61307806035fdfab34ac529b3f07c7