23896: Durban (Pub) NY Times on Peacekeeper action to Halt Violence (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Lance Durban <lpdurban@yahoo.com>

Appearing in NY Times of 12/15/04...

U.N. Peacekeepers Storm Haiti Slum in an Effort to Halt Violence
                       December 15, 2004
                                    By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Dec. 14 - Hundreds of United Nations
peacekeeping troops on Tuesday stormed a stronghold of
supporters of the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide,
seeking control of areas of this capital that have become
flashpoints of violence.

At least four people were killed, including a 2-year-old
who was found shot dead in the area, a slum known as
Cité-Soleil, before the United Nations operation began,
said Damian Onses-Cardona, a spokesman for the United
Nations peacekeeping mission.

Shootouts broke out between residents and troops who rolled
into Cité-Soleil before dawn, Mr. Onses-Cardona said. At
least six people were shot, including a 26-year-old woman,
a 16-year-old youth and a 13-year-old boy, all wounded
during exchanges of gunfire between peacekeepers and
residents.

Violence has plagued Cité-Soleil since September, when
Aristide loyalists increased protests to demand his return
from exile in South Africa.

Since Mr. Aristide left the country on Feb. 29 during a
three-week rebellion, Haiti's American-backed provisional
government has struggled to stem violence committed by
gangsters, pro-Aristide gangs, anti-Aristide gangs and the
former Army soldiers who led the revolt. The former
soldiers have grown frustrated with the government, which
has yet to formally reinstate the army.

As United Nations troops patrolled Cité-Soleil on Tuesday,
gunmen tore through a commercial area of the capital,
shooting into the air, burning roadside stands and looting.
By Tuesday afternoon, at least 19 people had been shot,
according to hospital officials and residents.

It was unclear where most of the shootings occurred.


United Nations officials said they planned to patrol the
area for at least two months, until they could transfer
operations to Haiti's beleaguered police.

Many police officers who had been loyal to Mr. Aristide
fled their posts during the rebellion out of fear of
reprisals. Nearly 20 police officers have been killed since
Sept. 30, possibly by Aristide supporters.

The United Nations troops planned to dismantle roadblocks
erected by residents and gain control of two police
stations in the slum.

Mr. Onses-Cardona said the operation involved hundreds of
Brazilian, Jordanian and Sri Lankan troops, flanked by
Chinese police officers and Chilean helicopters. He said
that most of the troops left after several hours, but that
similar operations would occur daily.

The show of force came a week after the United Nations
mission chief, Juan Gabriel Valdés, promised a crackdown on
armed groups, saying troops would disarm gangsters for the
first time since the United Nations forces arrived.