Five dead in Haiti coup attempt

Pro-Aristide supporters surrounded the palace

Armed commandos stormed Haiti's National Palace on Monday, taking over radio communications and killing at least five people before the building was recaptured by police.

We have defeated the coup, but it is not over yet

President Aristide

The attackers, reported to be former members of the Haitian military, were pushed back in an intense exchange of gunfire by security guards at the palace, which is President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's official residence.

Pro-Aristide protesters erected barricades of burning tires to block off main roads and set fire to the headquarters of the Democratic Convergence opposition alliance in retaliation.

At least five people died, including two policemen

"We have defeated the coup, but it is not over yet," Mr Aristide said after returning to the palace.

At the time of the attack, in the early hours of Monday morning, Mr Aristide and his family were sleeping at another home, in the suburbs of the capital Port-au-Prince.

The gunmen were thought to be members of the former military, which was disbanded after 1994 when Mr Aristide was restored to power following his ousting in an earlier coup.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide

1990: Becomes Haiti's first democratically elected president

1991: Ousted by the army

1994: Restored to power by US military intervention

1996: Stood down at the end of his term

2000: Elected president for the second time

The US and French Governments condemned the attacks, in which one of the assailants was killed, along with two police officers and two passers-by.

Monday's violence prompted the US embassy to close its doors and the neighbouring Dominican Republic to close its border with Haiti, while American Airlines cancelled flights to the capital.

Rioting

Since President Aristide's Lavalas Family party swept to power in parliamentary and local elections in May 2000, Haiti has been mired in unrest, with the opposition calling the elections fraudulent and foreign donors refusing to release hundreds of millions of dollars in aid until results are revised.

Mr Aristide disbanded the army when he returned to power

A former Roman Catholic priest, Mr Aristide was first elected president in 1990 and stayed in power only eight months before the army ousted him in a coup that began in September 1991.

He was restored to power in 1994 by US troops, but a term limit forced him to step down in 1996 and he was replaced by his protege, Rene Preval. Mr Aristide began his second term in February.

Correspondents say there has also been growing unrest within President Aristide's own party, with accusations that he has failed to keep promises to deliver basic services such as sanitation and electricity.

Last week, hundreds of anti-government demonstrators clashed with police in the south-western town of Petit-Goave.