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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Kenneth Mohammed

Haiti faces famine – but its troubles are rooted in a brutal colonial past

People displaced by gang war violence in Cité Soleil in Port-au-Prince.
People displaced by gang war violence in Cité Soleil in Port-au-Prince. Photograph: Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters

“Toussaint was a mighty man and to make matters worse he was black / Black and back in the days when black men knew their place was in the back / But this rebel he walked through Napoleon who thought it wasn’t very nice / And so today my brothers in Haiti, they still pay the price / Haiti, I’m sorry, we misunderstood you / One day we’ll turn our heads and restore your glory.”

The haunting song by David Rudder flooded my mind as the aircraft touched down at Toussaint Louverture international airport.

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