The Bahamas’ Ambassador to Haiti, Dr Eugene Newry told the Guardian Monday that vice consul Anthony Williams is currently running the embassy along with nationals of Haiti. His wife, Michelle Williams is expected to join him in the coming days. Twelve people are employed at the embassy.
Dr Newry is unsure when he would return to Haiti but said that he could leave for that country soon.
“I don’t know when. I’ll leave this week probably, but that hasn’t been decided yet,” he said.
Forced to close its doors
The embassy first experienced trouble in operating on Feb. 25, when it was forced to close its doors for a few hours during the Haiti uprising. During the incident, Haitian police received information that rebels were moving into Port-au-Prince and were about to initiate a major attack on that capital city. As a precaution, the police closed all embassies, some city streets and the international airport. The Bahamian vice consul at that time had already been recalled but Dr Newry remained in Haiti.
The following day, The Bahamas embassy closed its doors and Dr Newry, returned home leaving the premises under guard by a contracted private security firm.
Ambassador is always on duty
The embassy, now open to the public between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, is comprised of several sections. Dr Newry said its running does not depend on the ambassador being present however, he his job, by its very nature, technically requires him to always be on duty.
“We’re always negotiating out of interest of our national interest… always, 24 hours a day. So it is a full time job for the ambassador, ” he said.
“You don’t close up shop and go home οΎ– not an ambassador. Many of the activities of the ambassador take place after the traditional closure of the embassy. There are meetings, there are consultations, and there are discussion groups with local organisations and other embassies,” he told the Guardian.
The envoy said he would continue meeting with government officials in his remaining days here to update the various ministries on the latest events on the ground in Haiti.
“This whole thing is multi-ministerial you see. It’s not just the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the lead ministry,” he said.
Ties with Haiti
He reiterated the Bahamas’ position on Haiti, saying that unlike any other CARICOM country, out of necessity, The Bahamas must have a working relationship with whoever is the government of Haiti because of a need to control the flow of illegal migrants.
CARICOM decided last week at its inter-sessional meeting in St. Kitts that it would not recognise Haiti’s new government but would continue to negotiate with it, namely with Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, responsible for the day-to-day running of that government.
And despite tensions between Jamaica and Haiti over former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s arrival in Jamaica on March 15, CARICOM said it would not expel Haiti from the bloc but instead pledged to assist in returning the republic to constitutional and representative democracy. It also said it would continue to assist Haiti with humanitarian aid, training in public service and preparations for elections, which Mr Latortue said could take place eight to 12 months from now.
Haiti will again be a major topic during the next CARICOM Heads of Government meeting scheduled for July 3 to 6 in Grenada.
Meantime, international reports said Former Haitian Prime Minister Yvon Neptune said rebels are threatening to murder him. He was reportedly at an undisclosed location and requested U.S. protection.
Neptune was said to be moving from one friend’s house to the next in secrecy. His home was reportedly burned down during last month’s uprising in Haiti.
And Reuters news agency reported that a notorious Haitian paramilitary leader who helped lead the bloody revolt against Mr Aristide, said he would kill the ex-leader if he returns from exile.
“If Aristide comes tomorrow I will have 15,000, 20,000 Haitians armed to fight him and kill him as he killed my wife,” said Louis Jodel Chamblain, accused of heading death squads during years of military rule in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Mindell Small, The Nassau Guardian
