Since 1957, the Duvalier family ruled Haiti. In February 1986, President for Life Jean-Claude Duvalier left the country, leaving a legacy of years of repression. A national Council of Government established an interim government pending national elections. A series of short-lived governments ruled Haiti from 1987 to 1990.
On June 23, 1990, the President of the Interim Government of Haiti turned to the United Nations for assistance in upcoming elections. He requested a UN observation and verification mission that would cover the entire electoral process including the registration of voters and candidates, the electoral campaign and the verification of results. In October, the General Assembly approved a plan for electoral assistance. A United Nations Observer Group for the Verification of the Elections in Haiti (ONUVEH) was established by Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar. Its mandate was to assist in the observation and verification of the electoral process.
Elections were held on December 16, 1990. ONUVEH and other international observers visited polling stations throughout the country. The head of ONUVEH described the elections as "highly successful." Jean-Bertrand Aristide, candidate of the National Front for Change and Democracy (FNCD), won the presidential elections with 67% of the vote followed by Marc Bazin of the National Democratic Popular Alliance (ANDP) with 14%. Nine other candidates shared the remaining votes. On February 7, 1991, Aristide was inaugurated. The ONUVEH contingent left Haiti on February 22nd.
On September 30, 1991, a coup led by Lieutenant-General Raoul Cedras overthrow the Aristide government and sent him into exile. On the same day, the Organization of American States (OAS) condemned the coup and began diplomatic efforts for the return of Aristide. On October 3rd, President Aristide addressed the Security Council and requested international assistance for the exiled Haitian government. The Security Council condemned the coup, called for the restoration of the legitimate government and expressed support for the efforts of the OAS. On October 11th, the General Assembly also demanded the restoration of the legitimate government, the application of the Haitian constitution and the respect of human rights. Despite these efforts, Cedras refused to step down.
In April 1993, the International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH) was authorized by the General Assembly. Its mandate was to monitor the human rights situation and investigate violations. Meanwhile, UN Special Envoy for Haiti, Dante Caputo, sought to reach agreement between all the parties on the return of the president, the appointment of a prime minister to head a government of national unity and the question of an amnesty. Despite mounting international pressure, the de facto authorities refused to accept the settlement proposed by the Special Envoy.
On June 16th, the Security Council imposed an oil and arms embargo against Haiti in an effort to isolate the Haitian government. On June 21st, General Cedras agreed to begin a dialogue to resolve the crisis. Talks conducted in New York by the Special Envoy and involving President Aristide and General Cedras culminated in the signing of the Governor's Island Agreement on July 3rd. Under the agreement, President Aristide would return to Haiti on October 30th and appoint a new Chief Commander of the Armed Forces. General Cedras would step down and accept early retirement. The parties also agreed to discuss the conditions for a peaceful transition. On July 14th, political forces representing the Haitian parliament signed the Pact of New York. Under the agreement, the president would nominate a prime minister, to be confirmed by parliament. The parliament subsequently ratified the appointment of Robert Malval as prime minister.
On September 23rd, the Security Council authorized the establishment of the UN Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) pursuant to resolution 867. UNMIH would establish and organize a national police force and help train the armed forces.
Faced with the refusal of Haiti's military regime to implement the Governor's Island Agreement, the Security Council increased its pressure on the regime. In May 1994, the Council adopted a comprehensive set of sanctions against Haiti. On July 31st, the Council adopted resolution 940 which authorized the use of force by member states to bring about an end to the illegal regime and facilitate the return of President Aristide. When Cedras continued to refuse to step down, the United States began making preparations for the invasion of Haiti. The invasion was set for September 19th. On the evening of September 18th, last minute negotiations succeeded. President Clinton announced that the United States and Haiti's military leaders had reached an agreement. The de facto government agreed to step down by October 15th in return for a promise of amnesty. President Aristide would then be restored to power. The accord called for both Cedras and his military chief of staff, Brigadier General Philip Biamby, to step down. In addition to amnesty, the offer included safe passage to exile.
On September 19th, the day after the accord was reached, the US-led multinational force began its peaceful entrance into Haiti. An advance team began to work out the details of the transfer of power from the 20,000-member multinational force to UNMIH. This would occur once the Security Council had determined that a "safe and secure environment" had been established in Haiti. On October 13th, a year after they were supposed to leave Haiti by virtue of the Governor's Island Agreement, General Cedras and Brigadier General Biamby left for Panama. President Aristide returned to power two days later in a ceremony attended by Bill Clinton and Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
In early 1996, Rene Preval was inaugurated as the new President of Haiti. The United Nations continued its presence in Haiti through UNMIH, which is composed of approximately 1,300 troops and 300 civilian police. On December 5, the Security Council authorized the extension of UNMIH until May 1997, subject to a two-month renewal.
Source: Basic Facts About the United Nations. Published by United Nations Department of Public Information. Copyright 1995 United Nations.
