National Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Haiti
Encyclopedia
The National Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Haïti is a rebel
group in Haïti
that controlled most of the country following the 2004 Haiti Rebellion. It was briefly known as the "Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front", after the country's central Artibonite
region, before being renamed on February 19, 2004 to emphasize its national scope.
The group can be considered an alliance between two elements within the rebellion: armed anti-government gangs and former soldiers of the disbanded Haïtian army. The most prominent of the gangs is one based in Gonaïves
, formerly known as the "Cannibal Army", that had once supported Jean-Bertrand Aristide
but later turned against him. It initiated the rebellion with its capture of Gonaïves on February 5, 2004. It has been led by Buteur Metayer
since the murder (allegedly on Aristide's orders) of Buteur's brother, Amiot Metayer
, in late 2003.
Following the capture of Gonaïves, the rebels quickly moved into several neighboring towns, expelling the police from them. Some of these, such as Saint-Marc
, were retaken by the police and pro-Aristide militants within days, however. On February 14, the rebels were reinforced by opponents of the government who had returned from exile in the Dominican Republic: 20 former soldiers, led by Louis-Jodel Chamblain
, a former militia leader who headed army death squads in 1987 and a militia known as the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haïti
(FRAPH), which killed and maimed hundreds of people in the early 1990s. By February 17, the rebel forces had captured the central town of Hinche
, near the Dominican border. According to reports, this attack was led by Chamblain. The rebels also controlled most of the roads connecting the central Artibonite province with the north and south of the country.
On February 22, the rebels captured the country's second-largest city, Cap-Haïtien
. By February 25, nearly the entire north was in rebel hands, and the rebels were threatening to attack the capital, Port-au-Prince
. Aristide left the country under protest on February 29, and the rebels announced that they would welcome foreign peacekeepers in Haïti.
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
group in Haïti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
that controlled most of the country following the 2004 Haiti Rebellion. It was briefly known as the "Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front", after the country's central Artibonite
Artibonite Department
Artibonite is one of the ten departments of Haiti. With an area of 4,984 km² it is Haiti's largest department. Artibonite has a population of 1,168,800 . The region is the country's main rice-growing area. The main cities are Gonaïves and Saint-Marc...
region, before being renamed on February 19, 2004 to emphasize its national scope.
The group can be considered an alliance between two elements within the rebellion: armed anti-government gangs and former soldiers of the disbanded Haïtian army. The most prominent of the gangs is one based in Gonaïves
Gonaïves
Gonaïves is a city in northern Haiti, the capital of the Artibonite Department. It has a population of about 104,825 people . The city's name derives from the original Amerindian name of Gonaibo. It is also known as Haïti's "independence city"...
, formerly known as the "Cannibal Army", that had once supported Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian former Catholic priest and politician who served as Haiti's first democratically elected president. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in 1982 after completing his studies...
but later turned against him. It initiated the rebellion with its capture of Gonaïves on February 5, 2004. It has been led by Buteur Metayer
Buteur Métayer
Buteur Métayer was a rebel leader in Haïti during the 2004 Haïti rebellion.Following the assassination of his brother, Amiot Métayer, in 2003, he became the leader of his brother's gang, then known as the "Cannibal Army"...
since the murder (allegedly on Aristide's orders) of Buteur's brother, Amiot Metayer
Amiot Métayer
Amiot Métayer was a gang leader in Haïti. His gang, based in the northern city of Gonaïves, was called the "Cannibal Army". Although he had once supported Haïtian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the government arrested him for arson on May 21, 2002...
, in late 2003.
Following the capture of Gonaïves, the rebels quickly moved into several neighboring towns, expelling the police from them. Some of these, such as Saint-Marc
Saint-Marc
Saint-Marc is a coastal port town in western Haiti in the Artibonite Department. Its geographic coordinates are . At the 2003 Census the municipality had 160,181 inhabitants....
, were retaken by the police and pro-Aristide militants within days, however. On February 14, the rebels were reinforced by opponents of the government who had returned from exile in the Dominican Republic: 20 former soldiers, led by Louis-Jodel Chamblain
Louis-Jodel Chamblain
Louis-Jodel Chamblain is a military leader in Haïti who has led both government troops and rebels, and is considered a notorious war criminal....
, a former militia leader who headed army death squads in 1987 and a militia known as the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haïti
Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haïti
The Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti was a far-rightparamilitary group organized in mid-1993. Its goal was to undermine support for the popular Catholic priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who served less than eight months as Haïti's president before being deposed, on 29 September 1991,...
(FRAPH), which killed and maimed hundreds of people in the early 1990s. By February 17, the rebel forces had captured the central town of Hinche
Hinche
Hinche is a city in central Haiti. It has a population of about 50,000. It is the capital of Centre department. Hinche is the hometown of Charlemagne Péralte, the Haitian nationalist leader who resisted the United States occupation of Haïti .-Culture:The majority of the population are of African...
, near the Dominican border. According to reports, this attack was led by Chamblain. The rebels also controlled most of the roads connecting the central Artibonite province with the north and south of the country.
On February 22, the rebels captured the country's second-largest city, Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the Department of Nord...
. By February 25, nearly the entire north was in rebel hands, and the rebels were threatening to attack the capital, Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
. Aristide left the country under protest on February 29, and the rebels announced that they would welcome foreign peacekeepers in Haïti.