Aristide Leaves Haiti Amid Rebellion At

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left Haiti on Sunday, bowing to pressure from a rebellion at home and governments abroad, his Cabinet minister and close adviser Leslie Voltaire told The Associated Press.

At least three other sources confirmed the information, including diplomats and a security aide.

Voltaire said Aristide, Haiti’s first democratically elected president in 200 years of independence, was flying to the Dominican Republic and would seek asylum in Morocco, Taiwan or Panama.

Aristide left as fighters in a popular rebellion that erupted on Feb. 5 came within 25 miles of Port-au-Prince, the capital, and threatened to attack unless he resigned.

France, Haiti’s former colonizer, and the United States, which sent 20,000 troops to restore Aristide after a coup in 1994, had suggested he step down for the good of his Caribbean nation of 8 million people.