Emile Jonassaint, provisional president in 1994, died 31 years ago
Thirty-one years ago, on October 24, 1995, Émile Jonassaint died in Port-au-Prince. A judge and politician, he had served as provisional president in 1994 without international recognition.
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By NAGO News
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A Judge at the Constituent Assembly
Born on May 20, 1913, in Port-de-Paix, Jonassaint presided over the Constituent Assembly responsible for drafting the Constitution of 1987.
Five Months in Power
From May 12 to October 12, 1994, he exercised provisional presidential powers. During this period, the U.S. government pressured military leaders to step down to allow the elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, to return. On July 31, 1994, the UN Security Council authorized all necessary means to achieve this goal. Mid-August saw UN observers sent to the border with the Dominican Republic to curb oil smuggling. Jonassaint responded by declaring a state of siege and accusing the world of waging war on Haiti's poor. Meanwhile, the army and the "Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti" continued assassinations of Aristide supporters.
The Port-au-Prince Agreement
On September 18, 1994, Bill Clinton dispatched Jimmy Carter, General Colin Powell, and Senator Sam Nunn to negotiate with him. Jonassaint then signed the Port-au-Prince Agreement, which set the end of his provisional government leadership upon Aristide's return.
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