S.Africa says Haiti's Aristide to arrive on Monday

KAKAKOK · #1 05-29-04, 08:37 PM

29 May 2004 12:00:18 GMT

JOHANNESBURG, May 29 (Reuters) - Deposed Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide will arrive in South Africa on Monday to start an indefinite stay, Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said on Saturday.

Aristide left Haiti on February 29 during an armed revolt and was flown to the Central African Republic on a flight arranged by the United States. He travelled to Jamaica to be reunited with his children and arrange exile elsewhere, and South Africa approved his asylum request two weeks ago.

Dlamini Zuma made her announcement in the west African nation of Mali where she was attending a conference, the domestic news agency SAPA reported.

On Friday Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad told reporters: "Aristide will be able to stay as long as he wants, depending on how the situation normalises in Haiti."

Aristide aide Huntley Medley said on Friday Aristide would leave Jamaica on Sunday after travel arrangements were completed late on Thursday.

Johannesburg's Saturday Star newspaper said in a front-page report it understood a South African aircraft would pick Aristide from Jamaica and fly him to a military airport near Pretoria where a house had been prepared for his entourage.

Aristide and his family have been staying at a state-owned guest house northeast of Kingston while in Jamaica.