Phillipe Declares Himself Haiti's Military Leader

Rebel leader Guy Philippe declared himself Haiti's new military commander today and called on the people to give his forces "the mandate to provide them with security".

His comments came as he and his fellow militiamen sought to consolidate their grip on the capital Port-au-Prince, taking advantage of the power vacuum that has emerged in the wake of the ousting of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Haiti's chief justice, Boniface Alexandre, was installed as interim leader on Sunday, in the hours after Mr Aristide fled a bloody uprising. The US has denied claims that it forced Mr Aristide out of the country in what he described as a coup.

Flanked by other rebel leaders and senior officers of Haiti's police force, which his men defeated to take control of the country, Mr Philippe told a press conference: "I am the chief." Asked to clarify his statement, he said: "The military chief."

He reiterated he had no political aspirations, saying "I am not interested in politics. The president is the legal president, so we follow his orders." Asked if that meant the rebels would disarm if asked, he said "We will."

Mr Philippe, a former provincial police chief under Mr Aristide, has said he wants to reconstitute the army that the former president disbanded in 1995.

As US troop reinforcements arrived to spearhead an international force and Washington worked on political plans for restoring order, Mr Philippe went on local radio to call for public backing for his plans.

"We need the population to give us the mandate to provide them with security. Once we get the mandate we will assume our responsibility," he said.

Mr Philippe, whose armed followers took over the capital's police headquarters yesterday, called on Haitians to demonstrate outside the US-guarded presidential palace, seen as a symbol of Mr Aristide's power.

His comments hinted at the tense stand-off that could develop between the rebels who control the streets of Port-au-Prince and the US, French and Canadian peacekeepers who have begun arriving to guard diplomatic and public buildings.

Some 200 US Marines and 140 French troops arrived yesterday and more were expected to secure key sites today including the airport, the palace area and the coastguard station. But commanders of both forces said they had no orders to disarm Haiti's armed factions and were largely there to protect their countries' citizens and government property.

"We are not a police force," said Colonel Dave Berger, who is leading the US force in Haiti.

In Washington, the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, told reporters the situation "is more stable and quieter".

"The forces that were opposing Aristide seem to have made a conscious decision to behave and that's a good thing. That is a result of the presence of international and multinational forces," he said.

Mr Philippe, however, made clear his forces did not intend to melt away, despite his statement shortly after Mr Aristide fled on Sunday that his forces would put down their weapons and stop fighting. "The army was never disbanded," he said.