US: Aristide return a decision for Haitian government

Jan 15, 2010, 19:36 GMT

Washington - Former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide should consult with the country's current government about any possible decision to return, the US State Department said Friday.

Aristide was forced from office in a violent upheaval in 2004 and fled to South Africa, where he currently lives. He has said he wants to return to help his country get through the devastating earthquake that has left tens of thousands dead.

But he is a highly divisive figure in the country and there are worries his presence could provoke a violent backlash in an already deeply unstable situation.

'If former President Aristide wants to be helpful, he should be communicating with the Haitian government and determine what the best role is for him,' State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said.

Aristide said Friday in South Africa that he would like to to come home.

'We cannot wait to be with our sisters and brothers in Haiti,' he said. 'We share the anguish of all Haitians in the diaspora who are desperate to reach family and loved ones.'

The former priest was elected in Haiti's first open elections in 1990 before being deposed in a 1991 military coup. He was restored to power with US backing in 1994, but had to flee in 2004 under the weight of alleged scandals and civil unrest.

After the US and France intervened, Aristide and his family sought exile in South Africa.