Francois, police chief of the capital, masterminded squads of "attach?s," the army auxiliaries who have been responsible for much of the terror in the nation since the September 1991 overthrow of elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
There was no indication that fellow coup leaders Lieutenant General Raoul Cedras and army chief of staff Philippe Biamby had joined Francois in exile. The United States, which has sent about 19,000 troops to Haiti to help restore the elected government, is seeking the peaceful departure of all three military leaders.
Francois, Cedras and Biamby have agreed to step down by Oct. 15 under a last-minute plan that narrowly averted a U.S. invasion.
Francois fled Port-au-Prince at 9:30 P.M., sneaking past the Haitian border post, said U.S. Embassy spokesman Stanley Schrager. After several hours of delay, he crossed the border at Mal Paso at about 10:30 A.M. en route to the capital of Santo Domingo, according to border officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"His departure represents a major step forward" in laying the groundwork for the restoration of democracy, Schrager said Tuesday. "There is a new sheriff in town. We fully anticipate the departure of General Cedras and General Biamby in the near future."
Francois, traveling in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, was accompanied by his wife, his brother Evans, two other women and three bodyguards, a customs agent said.
Evans Francois has a luxurious residence in the Dominican Republic, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Despite the reports, the Dominican Republic's foreign affairs secretary, Carlos Morales Troncoso, would not confirm Tuesday that Francois had been granted political asylum.
The news electrified Aristide supporters. "It is an important step toward the re-establishment of democracy and peace," said Port-au-Prince Mayor Evans Paul, Aristide's campaign manager. "The others should follow his example," he said of Cedras and Biamby.
Francois, a police precinct chief when his men rose up against Aristide, was widely seen as the power behind three years of military domination. He enriched himself through control of customs, ports and telecommunication divisions of government. His lieutenants controlled lucrative contraband businesses that flourished after the United Nations imposed a series of economic sanctions against the military regime.
A day earlier, U.S. troops raided militia headquarters of those "attach?s" in Port-au-Prince and in the northern town of Cap Haitien.
U.S. troops arrived in Haiti on Sept. 19, aiming to pave the way for Aristide's return, expected around Oct. 15.
In the last week, however, the U.S. goal of stability was repeatedly shaken by violent outbursts from Aristide foes, including some who shot at a demonstration Friday, killing five people. In response, the Americans cast a dragnet Monday over offices of the hated paramilitary organization FRAPH, the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti.
U.S. Army soldiers detained 40 people at FRAPH centers in Port-au-Prince and 75 in Cap Haitien.
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