24542: (news) Chamberlain: Rights group says UN Haiti force has failed so far (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

     By Andrei Khalip

     RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, March 22 (Reuters) - The Brazilian-led U.N.
peacekeeping force in Haiti has failed to protect people and bring
stability to the country because of a timid and complacent attitude, a
leading international human rights group said on Tuesday.
     "After eight months under MINUSTAH's watch, Haiti is as insecure as
ever," Global Justice said in a report.
     The 7,400-strong U.N. peacekeeping force made up of soldiers and
police from several nations deployed in June last year after a rebellion
that forced elected Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide into exile in
February.
     Brazil's leading role in the mission is part of a government drive to
establish the country as a regional diplomatic power.
     In Brazil, critics say the Haiti venture could become President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva's first big foreign policy mistake as armed factions
are growing more violent, raising the risk people will turn against the
foreign troops. On Sunday, two peacekeepers from Sri Lanka and Nepal became
the first U.N. troops to be killed by violence in Haiti since the
international force went to the country. Brazil has about 2,000
peacekeepers in the force.
     Global Justice, which sent delegations to Haiti in October 2004 and
January 2005, said the failures resulted largely from the "timid
interpretation of its mandate" by the United Nations Stabilization Mission
in Haiti, or MINUSTAH.
     MINUSTAH officials had no immediate comment.
     Global Justice said the peacekeeping force "continues to interpret its
mandate complacently and with a narrowness unfit for the situation on the
ground."
     It said the force had not even started to implement a comprehensive
disarmament program, with armed groups, such as former soldiers of Haiti's
disbanded army and pro-Aristide gangs, controlling large areas of the
country.
     The force failed to investigate severe human rights abuses by the
Haitian police and even provided protection and equipment for them to wage
a campaign of terror in the slums, it said.
     "In short, MINUSTAH has effectively provided for the continuation of
impunity in Haiti," it said, quoting claims Haitian police carried out
arbitrary arrests and summary executions.
     It said the promotion of police reform in Haiti was utterly
ineffective and MINUSTAH did nothing to improve the situation of returned
refugees and displaced persons.
     Global Justice added it was not too late to start implementing the
mandate earnestly.
     "We continue to believe MINUSTAH holds tremendous promise to help
Haiti achieve peace, stability and respect for human rights. With elections
slated for the end of 2005, the time is now for MINUSTAH to act."
     It called for a strategy to disarm all armed groups and the former
military as soon as possible, constantly oversee police operations and
investigations and stop giving logistic support to the police during
operations that result in violations of human rights.