François Hollande - Haiti Observer Blog

France declines to pay $20 Billion in Reparations: will invest $145 Million in Infrastructure Projects

French President Hollande came to Haiti on a state visit recently. Although he was welcomed by the government of Haiti and the business sector, protestors complained he had no right to be in the country without committing to paying back reparations, amounting to nearly $20 billion.

The successful slave revolt in the 1800s, led by Haitian slaves working on French sugar plantations, defeated French colonists. And Haiti became the first black-led nation to rule as a sovereign state. France was irate, its defeat causing them to lose land on which the sugar plantations were built as well as slaves, worth millions.

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President Martelly, after visiting Germany as part of his tour in Europe, visited Paris on October 31, 2014. On the same day, the Haitian President and his delegation team visited the Elysee Palace to meet the French President François Hollande for nearly an hour. After the meeting, the French President has stated that the discussion between the two heads of the states had evolved around cooperation on matters relating to development and political issues. Presently, France is supporting Haiti on some hospital construction projects and development of residential areas in the country. The French President has also mentioned his plan to visit Haiti in the next year or sometime in 2016 because his government wants to contribute more on cooperation in the region with a noticeable presence in French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. He did not mention any specific date of travel, but, however, has said that there will be several occasions in the future, both in 2015 and 2016, from which he can take out an opportunity to visit Haiti and travel to French West Indies.

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This is an event that will likely not repeat itself in our life time. The death on Thursday of Nelson mandela has generated "unprecedented interest" in the world.

Mon Chè gin yon bagay ki di fè pou yo pale de rou.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Fifty three head of states have confirmed that they will go to the funeral. Here is a few names in that list:
Nicolas Sarkozy
François Hollande
Barack Obama
Dilma Rousseff
David Cameron
Ban Ki-moon
Jimmy Carter
George W. Bush
Bill Clinton,
Prince Charles
Kofi Annan,

Kote yo prale mete tout moun sa yo? Ki moun kape garanti sekirite tout moun sa yo? Ki Lotel ki pral recevwa tout moun sa yo?

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