08/03/2005
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Jean Marie Guehenno, chief of the UN Peace Mission in Haiti, says that his peacekeeping
troops are unable to combat the ongoing violence they face day after day.
Amnesty International’s Critique. Amnesty International has studied the situation in Haiti and concluded that wherever there is no massive
police presence (virtually everywhere), criminality is overwhelming a defenseless
population. A representative of the human rights group states, “Small caliber
weapons are used by illegal armed groups and ex-soldiers to kidnap, rape, and
kill Haitian citizens with complete impunity. Without disarmament and effective
justice for the victims, the crisis in Haiti will only worsen. A lasting peace
will never come to Haiti until those in charge of human rights in the country
are held responsible for their actions and there is retribution for the victims.”
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In Haiti, violence makes itself at home. The UN soldiers don’t have the means to combat it
Jean Marie Guehenno, chief of the UN Peace Mission in Haiti, says that his peacekeeping
troops are unable to combat the ongoing violence they face day after day.
The “scene of the crime.” It’s a given that Haiti’s greatest need is for a police presence sufficient
to control the streets and undertake operations in hostile areas such as the slums
of the capital, Port au Prince. Everyone knows that the provisional government,
headed by interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, is in trouble and unable to
run the country. No one doubts that Haiti is a dangerous country right now, more
likely to damage itself than any of its neighbors.
Far from the capital, in the rural villages, there has been little violence,
but every day in Port au Prince brings fear and unease. Kidnapping is the order
of the day, and the UN peacekeeping troops ( the Minustah) have not been able to prevent a single one, much less to put a brake on the
violence.
The well-to-do, who constitute approximately one percent of the population, travel
with armed body guards with weapons drawn. Gunfights, murders, and robbery fill
the days of the capital city’s citizens. Fear reigns supreme. We are speaking
with Francesco Fantoli, a popular journalist who has lived in Haiti for many years
and is currently in Europe: “I’m afraid to go back to Haiti. I’ll probably leave
the country once the elections are over (in
November, 2005). Despite the privileges that come with my popularity, the conditions
of total anarchy no longer permit me to live and work decently.” We hear the same
from Massimiliano Salierno, president of Anpil, an international NGO with an ongoing
program in Port de Paix in the northern part of the country: “I spoke to people
in Port au Prince a few days ago and they talked about the tension there. However,
I have also received word that the customs office there has started functioning
normally again, and that the situation in the north is pretty calm.”
November, 2005). Despite the privileges that come with my popularity, the conditions
of total anarchy no longer permit me to live and work decently.” We hear the same
from Massimiliano Salierno, president of Anpil, an international NGO with an ongoing
program in Port de Paix in the northern part of the country: “I spoke to people
in Port au Prince a few days ago and they talked about the tension there. However,
I have also received word that the customs office there has started functioning
normally again, and that the situation in the north is pretty calm.”In the meantime, last Friday the blue-helmeted UN peacekeepers of Minustah were
involved in another one of the unending gun battles that cost the life of at
least one person. Early reports claim that a platoon of Brazilian soldiers came
under heavy fire near the airport. The shooters were well-armed and consisted
of five or six men. The UN troops returned fire, and one of the attackers was
shot dead. This kind of event is nearly a daily activity for the UN troops in
many neighborhoods in Port au Prince.
Amnesty International’s Critique. Amnesty International has studied the situation in Haiti and concluded that wherever there is no massive
police presence (virtually everywhere), criminality is overwhelming a defenseless
population. A representative of the human rights group states, “Small caliber
weapons are used by illegal armed groups and ex-soldiers to kidnap, rape, and
kill Haitian citizens with complete impunity. Without disarmament and effective
justice for the victims, the crisis in Haiti will only worsen. A lasting peace
will never come to Haiti until those in charge of human rights in the country
are held responsible for their actions and there is retribution for the victims.”In a recent report, Amnesty asks the interim government to take on the responsibility
of, “putting into immediate action a program of complete disarmament, demobilization,
and re-integration, investigating all claims of violation of human rights, and
bringing those responsible to justice.” The organization also requests that Minustah,
“investigate all violations of human rights and emit frequent public reports on
the situation.”
Weapons in the Streets. People say that there are hundreds of thousands of small caliber weapons at
large, in the hands of criminals, of men faithful to ex-president Jean Bertrande
Aristide, and of other citizens. It is a custom in Haiti to possess and show off
one’s pistol. The poorest country in Latin America, Haiti has been under the control
of approximately seven thousand UN soldiers for over a year, but violence is at
such a high level that even the most optimistic observers have doubts about the
possibility that general elections can be held in November.
Alessandro Grandi
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