AU-PRINCE: Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, in his first public statement since his surprise return from exile, offered his sympathies Friday to those who suffered abuses under his rule. But Duvalier, 59, who faces charges of corruption and crimes against humanity filed since his unexpected reappearance in his earthquake-ravaged Caribbean homeland on Sunday, stopped short of making a clear apology for the killings and torture that occurred during his 15 years in power from 1971-1986. “I take this opportunity to express once again my profound sadness for those of my fellow citizens who genuinely see themselves as victims under my government,” Duvalier said. Clad in a dark blue suit and seeming frail, his remarks came in a prepared statement that he read to journalists at a private home on a mountainside overlooking the capital Port-au-Prince, in an enclave of Haiti's tiny but powerful elite. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere has been awash with speculation about the reasons for Duvalier's return since he stepped off an Air France flight Sunday. It has added to political uncertainty fueled by a protracted electoral impasse in Haiti, as it also grapples with a national cholera epidemic and slow-going efforts to recover from a catastrophic earthquake a year ago. Echoing brief comments made on his arrival, Duvalier said he had returned “to show solidarity in this extremely difficult period of the nation's life.” Apart from a vague reference to helping “to rebuild the country,” he failed to detail any specific causes or endeavors, however.
