[3] Cédras was chosen by the US and France to be in charge of security for the 1990–91 Haitian general election,[2] and subsequently named Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces by Jean-Bertrand Aristide in early 1991.

Some human rights groups criticized Cédras's rule, alleging that innocent people were killed by the FAdH military and FRAPH paramilitary units.

The US State Department said in 1995 that in the three years following the coup "international observers estimated that more than 3,000 men, women and children were murdered by or with the complicity of Haiti's then-coup regime.

"[4] While remaining the de facto leader of Haiti as commander of the country's armed forces,[5] Cédras did not retain his position as head of state, preferring to have other politicians as official presidents.

As required by Article 149 of the 1987 Haitian Constitution, Haiti's Parliament appointed Supreme Court Justice Joseph Nérette as provisional President, to fill in until elections could be held.