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from their repeatedly-stated commitment to non-interference. In the South Africancase, it involved the commitment of national political and material resources for thereported assistance (through the attempted provision of arms and the presence of aSouth African vessel in Haitian waters months prior to Aristide’s ouster) and exileof the Haitian leader in South Africa, outside its core foreign policy focus areas ofSouthern Africa and Africa. In the Brazilian case, the country conducted amodification of its longstanding policy of engagement of Brazilian troops ininternational crises. How did domestic and systemic factors combine to lead thesetwo leaders to take these positions? And, how much was new in their respective,and collective, approaches to Haiti? The timing of the crisis and the responses ofthese two states should be noted: debates regarding the reform of the UN SecurityCouncil were at a high point, ahead of the 2005 UN Millennium Summit where thiswould be a central topic of discussion.The chapter is sub-divided as follows: Following a brief background of the case, theapproaches of South Africa and Brazil, respectively, are presented. The nature oftheir involvement, how it complies with internationalism, and the domestic andinternational implications are analysed. This is followed by an appraisal of‘Southern’ engagement as distinct from other, mainly ‘Northern’ engagements ininternational crises.7.2. BackgroundHaiti has a long history of political instability. Since its independence from Franceas the first Black republic in 1804, it has never had a prolonged period of stable,representative government. In the twentieth century, the country was under USoccupation between 1915 and 1934, and was subsequently led by dictators, until thefirst democratic elections were held in 1957. These elections, on whose legitimacydoubt was cast by widespread fraud and the presence of the Armed Forces, broughtto power the Duvalier dynasty, 611 which ruled Haiti from 1957 to 1986. ‘Doc’Duvalier was succeeded by his son, ‘Baby Doc’, for almost three decades of brutalmisrule and corruption.611 Ricardo Seitenfus, “Keeping the Peace and the Lessons of Haiti: Collapse orRebuilding of the State?”. (2007)242