Violent demonstrations grew into a rebellion in Haiti this month. On February 5, armed rebels seeking to overthrow Haiti's president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, attacked and took control of Gonaives, a major coastal city.
After that, the violence spread. Last Monday, rebels set fire to police stations in Hinche, a trade center 45 miles from the capital, Port-au-Prince. More rebels battled Aristide supporters near Saint Marc and other cities. By Friday, some 57 people had been killed and riots had broken out at food-distribution centers.
This is not the first time that Haiti has faced such a threat. President Aristide was pushed from power in 1990 and reinstated in 1994 with the help of 21,000 U.S. troops.
Today, Aristide's opponents accuse him of using the police to stop Haitians from criticizing the government. They say Aristide has supported unfair elections and that he hasn't done enough to help the economy.
By the end of the week, Aristide had refused to resign. The United States and other Western countries were reluctant to send troops into Haiti. Instead, they made a plan for a political solution to the crisis. Among other things, it called for Aristide to form a new government and for his opponents to give up their weapons and negotiate a settlement.