21692: Nlbo: Is Haiti a French speaking country? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Nlbo@aol.com

These are exercepts from the articles of the UN peacekeeping mission. Does
the Haitian population  speak French? Can the linguists in Corbetland comment on
this?

Wimhurst said French-speaking police officers are essential because of their
interaction with the local population.

''It's a general concern,'' he said. ``There's a lot of demand suddenly for
French-speaking police. Haiti is a French-speaking country, so it's always
preferable to have a French-speaking force. We recognize that it will be
difficult.'