South African envoys began holding talks with Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Wednesday after Pretoria said it is open to granting exile to the ousted Haitian leader.
The delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad, arrived in Bangui in the Central African Republic on Wednesday morning and met with President Francois Bozize before heading into talks with Aristide.
Pahad has said that South Africa would, ”in principle, have no problem” with taking in Aristide.
But with the ousted Haitian leader insisting that he was forced out of office by the United States and France, South Africa last week called for an investigation into the circumstances leading to his departure.
The 53-nation African Union on Tuesday endorsed Aristide’s claim that he had been removed by ”unconstitutional” means and expressed concern that this ”set a dangerous precedent for a duly elected person”.
A Central African official described the delegation as ”special envoys” of President Thabo Mbeki. Pahad was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Finance Mandisi Mphahlwa and national security adviser Billy Masetla.
After being greeted at the airport by the Central African Republic’s government spokesperson Parfait M’bay and two other ministers, the South African envoys discussed cooperation with Bozize, a source close to the presidency said.
Aristide was flown to the Central African Republic on March 1 after South Africa said it was unable to take in the ousted Haitian in the run-up to elections on April 14, according to US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
”He asked us if we would take him to a destination of his choice. He said he wanted to go to South Africa,” Powell said on Tuesday.
”We contacted South Africa and they said that they were unable to accept him at this point so we quickly looked around, contacted other countries, and with the good offices of the French, they contacted the Central African Republic who was willing to accept President Aristide,” Powell explained in an interview on National Public Radio. — Sapa-AFP