The United Nations Security Council met on Sunday to discuss the deployment of a multinational force to keep peace in Haiti hours after the abrupt resignation of its President Jean Bertrand Aristide earlier in the day.  

The 15-council started emergency closed-door consultations at 6 pm (2300 GMT) to deliberate a draft resolution sponsored by the United States, France and other members of the so-called grouping "Friends of the UN Secretary-General on Haiti."

The draft, obtained by Xinhua, says the Multinational Interim Force would stay in Haiti for two months to "contribute to a secure and stable environment in the Haitian capital and elsewhere in the country."

The draft, which does not mention the strength of the force, calls on UN member states to contribute urgently personnel, equipment and other necessary financial and logistic resources to the force.

The resolution also requests Annan to prepare for the establishment of a follow-on UN stabilization force to support continuation of a peaceful and constitutional political process and the maintenance of peace in Haiti.

Heading for the close meeting, US Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte told reporters that he hoped the resolution could be adopted soon.

"The president of Haiti has already asked for assistance ... so I don't think there are any obstacles to the marines going in but it would be helpful to have a resolution," he said, referring to the dispatch of US marines by President George W. Bush for Haiti.

The council session was called after the political crisis in Haiti took a dramatic turn early on Sunday when Aristide, who had refused to step down as demanded by the rebels, resigned and went into exile in an unknown country.

Aristide turned over the presidency to the chief justice of the Haitian Supreme Court, Boniface Alexandre. Hours after his flight, Bush ordered hundreds of marines to the Caribbean country to restore law and order.

France, a strong advocate for an international force for Haiti, has also indicated its readiness to send troops to protect French nationals in its former colony.

Haiti's rebels, who started the armed rebellion early this month, have promised not to attack the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince for 24 hours to allow for Aristide's departure. They reportedly were not opposed to the arrival of US marines, who were expected to land on Haiti Sunday night.

The Friends of the UN Secretary-General on Haiti also include Canada, Brazil, Chile and the 15 Caribbean Community (CARRICOM) member states.

US, Canada, France to send troops to Haiti

As US President George W. Bush had ordered a contingent of US Marines to Haiti on Sunday, Canada and France were also committed to send troops to the chaotic Caribbean country.

Speaking to reporters on returning to the White House after a weekend at the Camp David retreat, Bush said: "I have ordered a deployment of Marines as the leading element of an interim international force to help bring order and stability to Haiti."

A 500-strong US Marine force was reportedly ready to leave for Haiti by air as early as Sunday to help refugee repatriation by the US Coast Guard at one or more Haitian ports.

In Ottawa, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham said that Canada is committed to joining a stabilization force in Haiti, despite the fact that the country's military is already stretched by commitments in Afghanistan and Bosnia.

Canada already has a small number of troops guarding the Canadian Embassy in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital. Three Canadian military aircraft landed in Haiti on Saturday to ferry people out of the country if necessary.

After learning Sunday about the resignation of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Graham spoke with US Secretary of State Colin Powell and was told American forces will be arriving in Haiti today to help secure peace.

Canada is eager to help in Haiti, Graham said, because it is a Francophone country and because of the many Haitian immigrants living here.

In Paris, the French army said that some 200 military French troops staying in France's overseas department of Antilles in the Caribbean region will join an international force in Haiti in the coming hours and some 100 gendarmes will arrive on the crisis-hit island on Monday.

The French troops will protect the French nationals on the island where Aristide flew out earlier on Sunday following a three-week rebellion that threw the country into chaos, said a spokesman of the staff of the French armies.

A spokeswoman of the French presidency said France is ready to participate if an international peace force is to be deployed.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2004)