21448: (Chamberlain) UN-Haiti (later story) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   By EDITH M. LEDERER

   UNITED NATIONS, April 20 (AP) -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan called
Tuesday for a broad, new U.N. mission in Haiti to include 6,700 troops,
more than 1,600 international police and experts to help turn the Caribbean
nation into "a functioning democracy."
   The U.N. military contingent would replace the 3,600-strong U.S.-led
multinational force sent to bring stability to Haiti after a three-week
rebellion ousted its first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand
Aristide, in February. About 2,000 of them are American troops.
   Annan said the transfer of authority to a U.N. force would take place by
June 1, with troops in the multinational force withdrawing in phases as
U.N. troops arrived "to avoid any security gap."
   In a report to the Security Council, the secretary-general said it was
"unfortunate that in its bicentennial year, Haiti had to call again on the
international community to help it overcome a serious political and
security situation."
   The U.N. special envoy to Haiti, Reginald Dumas, said last month that 10
international missions to Haiti in the last decade failed because there was
no sustained commitment.
   The international community must allow for least 20 years to bringing
peace to Haiti and raising living standards in the Western hemisphere's
poorest nation, he said.
   Annan told the council the last U.N. mission, which ended in 2001, was
"too brief and fraught with both international and domestic hindrances."
   The new mission must be a partnership with regional organizations
including the Caribbean Community, known as CARICOM, and the Organization
of American States, but most of all with the Haitian people, he said.
   He proposed the council authorize the new mission, to be called the U.N.
Stabilization Mission in Haiti, for an initial period of 24 months.
   In light of the volatile security situation and proliferation of arms
throughout the country, he said the U.N. military force should provide
security in all key towns and along major roads, "deter armed groups from
engaging in violence," and work with the Haitian and international police
to disarm fighters, Annan said.
   Germany's U.N. Ambassador Gunter Pleuger, the current Security Council
president, said he didn't know when members would take up the report.
   U.N. peacekeeping missions are funded by member states, on a sliding
scale of assessments. The United States is the largest contributor, paying
27 percent of peacekeeping costs.
   The United States, Canada and Chile are the main contributors to the
multinational force. Washington expects some of these troops to become part
of the U.N. force, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on condition of
anonymity.
   Caribbean nations refused to join the U.S.-led multinational
peacekeeping force but have not ruled out the possibility of contributing
to a U.N. force.
   Caribbean leaders, many of whom do not recognize Haiti's interim
government, have demanded the U.N. General Assembly investigate Aristide's
claims the United States staged a coup and forced him from power -- a claim
U.S. officials deny.
   Earlier this month, Brazilian Defense Minister Jose Viegas said Brazil
was prepared to take command of the U.N. force and would send 1,470 troops
to Haiti for six months. But Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
said Tuesday his country would take command only if there is "a firm
commitment by the international community to rebuild Haiti."
   Annan said the mission must have experts on human rights, HIV/AIDS,
gender and civil affairs "to help create the necessary conditions for a
functioning democracy, as well as for the establishment and strengthening
of legitimate local authority throughout the country."
   Haiti's interim leaders are trying to start rebuilding, but Annan said
the United Nations has not gotten a sufficient response to its appeal for
$35 million in emergency relief needed to help the shattered country.