A ruling on the case of the alleged massacre at La Scierie should be made public in early December, according to the chief judge of the Court of Appeals of Gonaïves
Gonaïves, November 30, 2006 (AHP)- The president of the Court of Appeals of Gonaïves, Judge Yves Saint Pierre, announced Wednesday that the ruling on the case of the alleged massacre at La Scierie will be published in early December.
Shortly before the sudden departure of President Aristide on February 29, 2004, conflicts broke out at La Scierie, a hamlet of Saint-Marc, between members of two populist organizations, Bale Wouze and RAMICOSM, over control of the port of Saint-Marc.
Four or five individuals were reportedly killed in total for the two sides.
However, after the departure of President Aristide, sectors reputed to be close to the new regime denounced what they called a genocide. They later described it as a massacre.
According to the presiding judge of the Gonaïves appeals court, the reason why it has taken so long to issue the ruling is because of the importance of the case.
"We took a long time, but the results will be satisfactory and equitable", said Judge St-Pierre.