On Friday, October 4, the New Afrikan Network hosted Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, Haitian leader of “Viva Asanm”, which means “Live Together” in Creole. Commander Chérizier was asked the following question by Siphiwe Baleka, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW

(beginning at 19:30)

New Afrikan Network host: Thank you brother. Okay, so first up, you know, this is questions and answer day and we're going to get started with the first question coming from Brother Siphiwe out of Guinea Bissau from the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Africa. Brother Siphiwe can you hear us?

Minister Baleka: Yes, thank you. Revolutionary Greetings. Free the land! And greetings to you Commander Chérizier. I am Minister of ForeignAffairs of the Republic of New AfriKa.

Translator: I'm sorry what country?

[ …] Republic of New Afrika

Minister Baleka: First I want to say congratulations to you Commander Chérizier. Anyone that is willing to take up arms to defend their sovereignty and self-determination against the imperialist has courage . . . . In March 1968 we were prepared to defend our right to self-determination and free our land with arms. We have a deep understanding and can empathize with your freedom fighting. I have four questions for you today, Commander. The first question revolves around, the first question has to deal with the issue of gang criminality. In our case, our young people were growing in their revolutionary National Consciousness. At that moment the United States government had to rebrand its campaign war strategy against our forces. They declared a war on drugs and they sent drugs and guns into our New Afrikan communities. The United States government declared a war on drugs and criminalized our young people, brought the drugs and the guns into our communities. We attempted to politicize our young people in the gangs and send them for military training in East Africa. As you know Malcolm X was once called a criminal and he became a freedom fighter. Nelson Mandela was an attorney who received military training in Ethiopia and returned to South Africa as a freedom fighter. So my first question is, do you see this as very similar, that those they are calling gangs were given drugs and guns by the Core Group and you are now trying to politicize them, to get them to fight for self-determination?

Translator: Can you repeat the question again?

Minister Baleka: The question is do you see this as a similar situation? That you are now trying to politicize young people to fight for self-determination?

Commander Chérizier: I greet you and I thank you for the question. What you have just explained is not different from the one that is happening in Haiti. 95% of the weapons are brought from the Dominican Republic and the US. They use the rich people and the corrupted politicians to bring drugs and weapons to the gangs. They use the gangs to destabilize the country. Each time they do that effectively. That's what they are doing today and we are promoting Consciousness, awareness . . . As a result of our speech to them they reduce the bad act, the bad habit. What they used to do, they stop it. The politicians used to make them do a lot of kidnapping in order to destabilize . . . president . . . They used to help them kidnap a lot of trucks with goods belonging to other people. They used to rape women. They used to rape girls. Today most of those bad activities are mostly finished and if someone in the group commits those crimes the leaders take some measures to punish . . . In order to bring the foreign troops to keep under occupation they sent those weapons in the neighborhoods. Today we are trying to bring a new ideology to them, to bring Consciousness to them against what the oligarchs are forcing them to do. But this fight is not easy. Those people whom we are fighting against have a lot of money. They use local and international media to destroy us. As of today we have already done a lot of work. There were G9 and G people. G9 is a group which I . . . G is another group which was created by the politicians because the group, namely G9, refused to work for them. Today we G9 happen to unite with G people and this resulted into a new group. Namely this creates a lot of problem for the politicians. Now, they merge all the crimes which was, which were committed by the other groups, they bring it to us as the one who did it. This is a way in order to destroy us. To help people not to believe in us without letting anyone to know that they are the one who used to give those people. . . who used to ask them to commit those crimes. Today we are trying to put them on a positive way, educate them not to fight against those who look like us. This history which you have told of which I have been telling them - the history like about Nelson Mandela and others - someone who has a weapon and that person does not have education regarding this weapon, that may be a threat against him or her and against the society. That's what we teach and the politicians in Haiti know. That's why they do not educate, build schools to help those living in the popular neighborhood. This is a way so that they can use them whenever they want. Today we are trying to bring a change but it's not easy because most of those people who are weapons holders are not educated men. But because of the leadership we have a better relationship. We have them talk to their soldiers in order to protect the Civil population but sometimes things happen but we think we are on a good way because most of them start having a conscience. The kidnapping decreased considerably. It is not the Kenyan troops nor the government who do it. It’s the result of our work, dialogue with those guys who started this process in our history. We do know that they used to call again, they used to call him a black person, criminal assassinator. This is how the . . . they call you . . . this is how they call you. Today this is not a problem to give us those nicknames. What is important for us is to fight for the Haitian people to have a better condition and in the name of our ancestors we will reach where we are heading to. I hope that I answer your question but if you are not satisfied you could still ask other questions.

Minister Baleka: thank you Commander I appreciate your answer. My second question - we are aware that you have repeatedly called for dialogue. Would it be fair to say that although your primary objective is defending the sovereignty and dignity of the Haitian people, that it is your position to call for peace and reconciliation in order to spare the bloodshed?

Translator: can you repeat the one please?

Minister Baleka: Yes, the question is: is it fair to say that your objective is to call for peace and reconciliation in order to save lives and spare bloodshed?

Commander Chérizier: Thank you for the question. Today in the country we are trying to avoid a civil war. We understand that the west - USA, France and Canada - are seeking a civil war in the country. You get they are seeking this civil war as a pretext for them to directly intervene in Haiti? They are using the international force, the Kenyan troops, but deeply this is not their objective. They are kind of ashamed because the international community has an eye open on them. They don't want to do that openly but they are using the local media, the international media, to make people believe that the problem in Haiti is a gang problem and they're trying to turn some of the population against those weapon holders. They use a movement, namely, they call those people [in audible] defense but deeply there isn't any defensive self-defensive group. Anyone who came from the popular neighborhood they kill you. This will cause those living in the hood - will reach a time where they will become patientless and they will take up weapons and what we are saying is happening now in the department under the pretext of a group, namely self defense. They keep people in another area. Wednesday night the other area attack them. More than 20 people die and more than 100 get injured. We as people of awareness as people who love this country, we use examples from several African countries where people have the same kind of problem as us. We can name Liberia today. They take the way of reconciliation and for that their countries are in peace. What can save . . . what it is to prevent a lot of people getting killed is reconciliation before the arrival of the international forces. I have never stopped telling people this problem which we have can be stopped, can be solved but as you know our politicians and the oligarchs, they are working for the US and they never listen to us in order to take the way of . . . And I can understand that they will never listen to us. The reason why is the American claims that it is being executed, their plan is to let Haiti go deep into a chaos of insecurity so that the whole world will see the necessity to approve for foreign troops to enter here. I have said that and I will continue saying that no foreign troops can solve the Haitian problem. The Haitian problem is not only with those groups. The gang, it is a social problem, economic . . . It is an economic problem. It is a political problem. We have to have leaders with character to solve this problem. How can you understand that only 5% of people control the wealth of 95% of people in the country? Those people do not create not even one hospital as a reference for the country when they get sick. They board a helicopter to go lately in an operation with the police, national and the foreign troops. A Kenyan troop received a bullet and a Haitian police officer received a bullet. They quickly took [the Kenyan officer out] and they sent the Haitian police officer in the countryside, but now he is dead. All of this is discrimination. This is why we are fighting to enter dialogue to solve the problem.

Minister Baleka: Let me interrupt because I have one final important question for you. It has two parts. The first part is, has any African security forces offered to provide training for your militia and the second part of the question, would you say that now is a good moment for a Pan African Ubuntu peace delegation, a delegation led by Julius Malema, PLO Lumumba, Her Excellency Ambassador Arikana Chihombori Quao, The Prime Minister of Burkina Faso Apollinaire Joachimson Kyelem de Tembela, and Dr. Umar Ifatunde? Do you think such a delegation coming as conciliators could help bring about the reconciliation you speak of?

Commander Chérizier: For the first question regarding if the African forces could train us, we do not have any contact with them. When they come they always attach to the work [of the imperialists]. We we always attach to our work defending our territory. And for the second question, anyone who can contribute to have a peaceful resolution to prevent people from getting killed, we are ready to work and collaborate with them but in the honor and dignity in the interests of the Haitian people. Any dialogue which we enter, if our dignity is not respected since the interest of Haiti is not respected, we will not engage. Today our objective is clear: the wealth of the country must be shared with the children of the country. That's what the father of the nation said, Haiti’s wealth belongs to the children of Haiti. For example in our constitution of 1805, it is prevented for a foreigner to be a property owner in Haiti. So the Clinton family happened to buy land and this present Prime Minister is working with Clinton. This is why we need to be careful if we have to engage in a dialog, a negotiation. We have to ensure that our interest and the interest of Haiti . . . . Only more they are using force to be . . . to use violence against us, the more we will be more violent. We want to take it from where it is now. I hope that I answer your question.

Minister Baleka: Yes you did and on behalf of the Republic of New Africa we respect the sovereignty and dignity of the Haitian people and we will use our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic office to pass your message to other Pan African forces.

Commander Chérizier: Thank you. Merci thank you.

The Chairman of the Republic of New Afrika Grassroots Mobilization Campaign has submitted to Commandier Chérizier the following