au-Prince, Haiti, July 30 , SPA -- Former Haitian military officers have taken control of two buildings in northern Haiti, Radio Metropole reported from the capital Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, according to dpa. A group of about 50 former officers occupied a former prison in northern Haiti and 80 armed people took control of a military barracks in the city of Ouanaminthe on the Hatian-Dominican Republic border. The officers were demanding the reinstatement of the army that was dissolved in 1995 after a military coup and payment of missed retirement funds. The prison in Cap Haitien was seized after protests in Ouanaminthe, UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah) commander Neris Mauro Corbo of Uruguay told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa Tuesday. Minustah was working on establishing a dialogue between the opposing parties, he said. Experts believe the protests could also be connected with attempts by President Rene Preval to reinstall a prime minister after being forced to dissolve his government following April's famine-related protests. Haiti's senate is currently discussing a third potential candidate, after it failed to endorse to previous candidates. While the lower house approved Michele Pierre Louis two weeks ago, opposition senators questioned her suitability because of her alleged homosexuality.
