Louis-Jodel Chamblain: Difference between revisions

'''Louis-Jodel Chamblain''' (born [[January 18, 1953]] or [[1954]]) is a military leader inprominent [[HaïtiHaiti]]an military figure who has led both government troops and rebels, and is considered a notorious [[war criminal]] by most.

Chamblain first emerged as a notorious figure as a sergeant within the transitional military [[military dictatorship|junta]] running Haïti following the collapse of [[Jean-Claude Duvalier]]'s dictatorship in [[1986]]. In [[1987]], Chamblain allegedly headed government [[death squadssquad]]s that interruptedattacked avoters planned election that would have markedat the transition[[Haitian topresidential civilianelection, rule.1987|1987 presidential In allelection]], 34causing votersit wereto killed,be andcancelled; the election was cancelledto permit transition to civilian rule.

Civilian elections did take place in 1990 ([[1990Haitian general election, 1990–1991]]), in which [[Jean-Bertrand Aristide]] was elected, but a militarythe [[1991 Haitian coup d'état]], in which Chamblain was involved, overthrew Aristide injust [[1991]]eight months later. Immediately following the coup, Chamblain's reputation for brutality grew further as he is reported to have been responsible for thousands of murders of Aristide followers.<ref name=SFC>''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', 29 February 2004, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/02/29/MNG485ATLK1.DTL The men behind Haiti's rebellion: Infamous leaders wield bravado to build insurgency]</ref>

Chamblain formedwas second-in-command of a paramilitary organization, the [[Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haïti]] (FRAPH), founded in [[August 1993]] as tensions grew between supporters of Aristide's reinstatement and supporters of the military government. With the end of the military regime and restoration of Aristide (following the [[United States|U.S.]] [[Operation Uphold Democracy]] intervention) in [[1994]], Chamblain went into exile in the [[Dominican Republic]].<ref name=SFC/> He was convicted ''in absentia'' for his involvement in the murder of [[Antoine Izméry]], a well-known pro-democracy activist,{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}} and for his involvement in the [[Raboteau Massacre]].<ref name=SFC/>

In February [[2004]], Chamblain returned from exile to take part in a [[2004 Haïti rebellion|new rebellion]] against Aristide. Shortly after his return, he captured the central city of [[Hinche]] from the Haitian police with a force of 50 men.

Following Chamblain's return and the collapse of Aristide's government in 2004, [[Amnesty International]] called for [[United Nations|UN]] [[peacekeeping|peacekeepers]] to arrest Chamblain for his alleged participation in various war crimes in [[1987]], [[1991]], and [[1993]]-[[1994]]. In [[April 2004]], he turned himself in to face a retrial in the case of Izméry's murder and was acquitted; he was eventually released from prison in [[August 2005]].

* Haiti Background: [[eshttp://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2004/02/25/16714431.php Louis- Jodel Chamblain]]

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