6922: U.N. civilian mission to Haiti ends (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: nozier <nozier@tradewind.net>

 U.N. civilian mission to Haiti ends Monday, 5 February 2001 19:01 (ET)
 U.N. civilian mission to Haiti ends By WILLIAM M. REILLY

  UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- The U.N. civilian mission in Haiti is
closing Tuesday, the eve of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's
inauguration, although as Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommended, head
of mission Alfredo Lopes Cabral will remain for the ceremony.  The
international staff of the U.N. International Civilian Mission in Haiti,
known by its French acronym, MICAH, has been leaving Haiti since
 mid-December.  However, chief U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said 38
personnel were expected to remain there until May to assist in
liquidation of the mission. Lopes
 Cabral was to leave Thursday.  The Spokesman said the United Nations
would continue with its economic and social development work in Haiti
but was ending its political presence. Asked to evaluate the U.N.
contribution to Haiti, Eckhard said that there
 had been a considerable amount of progress, but, as the
Secretary-General's
 last report noted, political uncertainty remained. "We can only hope
that
 the political situation will begin to improve," with Aristide's
inauguration, he said.
  Eckhard noted the Secretary-General held wide consultations with
several
 governments before recommending the end of mission to the General
Assembly
 last November.