Former Duvalier Adviser Takes Control in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti —  Lt. Gen. Prosper Avril, a former military adviser for the Duvalier dictatorship, declared himself president of Haiti on Sunday after ousting Lt. Gen. Henri Namphy.

Namphy, who had himself seized power in the impoverished Caribbean country of 6 million in a coup only last June, went into exile in the neighboring Dominican Republic, where he was granted political asylum.

Avril, who promoted himself to lieutenant general, said in an early morning address on national television that the Presidential Guard toppled Namphy on Saturday because of the way he had ruled.

‘Sickened’ by Government

“The Presidential Guard, sickened by the way the country has been governed since the 7th of February, 1988 . . . has been forced to act again,” Avril said. He commands the 1,000-member force responsible for protecting the presidential palace.

Avril, who had been regarded as the architect of a June 19 coup that put Namphy in power, urged Haitians to accept the change calmly and promised to restore order.

“I feel I must accept the responsibility, given the seriousness of the situation, and save the country from anarchy and chaos,” he said.

Haiti radio stations reported that at least six people were killed in the capital in coup-related clashes and that mobs pillaged two homes owned by Namphy and the home of Port-au-Prince Mayor Franck Romain, who went into exile with the deposed leader.

Appeal for Calm

The military government appealed in a national television broadcast “for calm, discipline and order in respect of individual rights and liberties.”

Residents reported hearing heavy gunfire Saturday night near the presidential palace in what appeared to be fighting between military factions.

There were unconfirmed reports that the fighting involved army factions and members of the Tontons Macoutes, the dreaded secret police who terrorized Haitians during the 29-year dictatorship of the Duvalier family.

Frantz Lubin, Haiti’s director of information, said soldiers were killed in the takeover, but he gave no figures.

New Army Chief

Earlier, Lubin said that Jean-Claude Paul, commander of the 700-member Dessalines Barracks, had been named commander-in-chief of the army, but Avril did not mention Paul. Dessalines is the most feared unit in the 7,000-member army.

Paul, who has been indicted on federal drug trafficking charges in Miami, had been considered the most powerful figure in Haiti after Namphy. It was not known whether Paul played a role in the coup, but sources said Namphy and Paul were at odds.

The latest coup followed a week of uncontrolled violence in which two churches were attacked.

Week of Violence

In the most serious assault, an armed band broke into a church where Mass was being said by Father Jean Bertrand Aristide, a vocal critic of the military government. An estimated 13 people were killed and 77 wounded.

Some opposition leaders blamed Namphy’s government for the attacks; others faulted the regime for refusing to intervene.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Anita Stockman said noncommissioned officers of the Presidential Guard captured Namphy and then asked Avril to take over.

She said they were believed to be “dissatisfied with recent human rights violations and the general deterioration in the security situation punctuated by attacks against the churches over the past two weeks.”

Answer to Charges

Stockman said Avril phoned the U.S. ambassador and said he was assuming the presidency. She added that the U.S. government still wants Paul to answer the drug trafficking charges in court.

Namphy arrived in a private plane at a private airport in Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital, early Sunday morning, said Fabio Herrera Cabral, deputy foreign minister of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Namphy, in a military uniform, was accompanied by his wife and daughter, Herrera Cabral said. They arrived without luggage and climbed into a waiting limousine, an airport employee said.

Key Figure

Avril has been a key behind-the-scenes figure in a succession of governments since nationwide riots forced Jean-Claude (Baby Doc) Duvalier to flee to exile in France on Feb. 7, 1986.

Duvalier had been president since the 1971 death of his father, Francois, who ruled since 1957.

Namphy led a military junta after Duvalier fled. Avril served as an adviser to the junta, but resigned in early 1986 after anti-government demonstrations demanded that he and other close Duvalier associates resign.

In March, 1987, voters overwhelmingly approved a new constitution calling for elections under civilian control.

But on election day, gunmen killed at least 34 voters, and the balloting was canceled. Soldiers from Paul’s Dessalines barracks were blamed.

Namphy scheduled new elections, but few people voted and Leslie F. Manigat was elected on Jan. 17.

Manigat then became involved in a dispute with the military over the transfers of Avril, Paul and other military leaders. Avril reportedly played a key role in Namphy’s June 17 overthrow of Manigat.