minustah - Haiti Observer Blog

As per news report dated March 9th, 2015, Pierre Duly Brutus, the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs has informed his Dominican counterpart, Andrés Navarro about the new measures to ensure safety and security of the ambassador, consuls and other staff working on diplomatic missions in the Embassy and the five Dominican consulates in Haiti. We may remember that in the last week the Dominican government had announced a notice of temporary closure of its consular offices in Port-au-Prince, Ouanaminthe, Cap-Haïtien Anse-à-Pitre and Belladère. The Chancellor Navarro has welcomed this safety move taken by the Martelly administration and stated that the five consulates that were closed temporarily will be reopened soon. Navarro has also stated that he would meet his Haitian counterpart Duly Brutus, during the Summit of Heads of State of the Central American Integration System (SICA) on March 10 in Antigua. The Dominican authority is ready to maintain open and respectful dialogue with neighboring Haitian authorities. His Haitian counterpart Duly Brutus has also reiterated that we will use all diplomatic channels to reduce tensions between the two peoples.

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As per the news report, on March 5th, Blas Peralta, the President of the National Federation of Dominican Transportation (Fenatrado), confirmed that a total of 27 trucks loaded with cement, rebars and food, were seized at the border after registering with the Haitian customs authority. Out of these, 24 trucks were blocked in the customs area of Ouanaminthe and 3, at the exit of Cap-Haitien because of planned protests and threats of retaliation against Dominicans drivers. The Haitian authority, fearing the security of the Dominican drivers due to the reason of aggravating tensed situation between the two countries, asked them to return to their country, but, however, refused to return their merchandise as those had already been registered with their customs department.

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The Haitian government is worried the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will cut its troop presence before critical elections are held this year. When envoys from the U.S. and Chile visited the island, newly-appointed Public Safety Minister Pierre-Richard Casmir pressed them ". . . not reduce the number of MINUSTAH troops during the electoral process" He emphasized troops were needed to stabilize the country while preparations were being made to hold elections. To strengthen his argument to keep the present troop level intact, Casmir referred to UNSC Resolution 2180, stating the UN must adjust its troop presence to the situation at hand.

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Organization of American States (OAS) in Haiti Special Representative, Ricardo Seitenfus, is angry with UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti's (MINUSTAH) accusations against him. In 2010 he said MINUSTAH charged him with coercing the mission into its 6-year presence in Haiti. Not true responds Seitenfus and points to the Haitian constitution as invalidating the presence of MINUSTAH. Also the treaties Haiti has signed with the international community further invalidates MINUSTAH's presence on the ground. Seitenfus further clarifies that because MINUSTAH has no business being in Haiti the diplomatic immunity it has granted itself is also illegal.

Seitenfus has also gone on the attack with Haitian friends groups. He claims they have repeatedly made the same mistakes trying to handle political upheavals on the island. Seitenfus decries the amount of spending the MINUSTAH operation has racked up, almost $8.6 billion. Seitenfus, who once was Brazil's special envoy to Haiti, became tapped to represent the OAS due to his expertise in international relations, and in Brazilian / Haitian foreign policy.

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House Representative Ferdinand Romualdez spoke in chambers supported by several of his colleagues to laud the courage of a 40-member Filipino peacekeeping contingent, who fought the well-armed Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights. They managed to pull off what has been called the "greatest escape" to return home to Manila. Romualdez along with Representative Ben Evardone and other legislators formed an independent minority bloc to encourage House leadership to officially recognize the soldiers' valor in standing their ground when Syrian rebels attempted to overtake the Golan Heights UN peacekeeping camp.

In his remarks to House leadership Romualdez said the Filipino peacekeeping troops were worthy of the House's commendation ". . . for the bravery, courage, and professionalism they displayed during the attack despite being outnumbered . . ." He also reminded the House the soldiers held to ". . . the military's core values of courage . . . (and) for showing (the) highest levels of professionalism and competence . . ."

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It's a story as old as goodwill aid itself. One very famous occurrence was when, in the early 1970s, US military pulled out of Vietnam, leaving behind tens of thousands of Vietnamese women pregnant. Today's includes UN peacekeepers and the women left pregnant or with children in Haiti.

While the United Nations has a policy to facilitate claims of paternity and claims for child support, the process is often long and arduous. The seven mothers taken to Port-au-Prince for paternity tests in February are still waiting for the results.

According to the UN, while they do play a part, it is incumbent on the peacekeeper's country of residence to decide on an outcome. The UN may ask that DNA samples be given, but the establishment of paternity is then met by what the country's court decides.

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There is a problem that has been growing in Haiti since the introduction of the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti. Tens of thousands of young Haitian women are getting pregnant and giving birth to children without fathers. Obviously, the UN Soldiers have been expending their mission in Haiti by getting our women pregnant. However, when it is time to leave, they tend to leave everything behind as well, including their children.

According to a report released recently, Many women in Haiti have been getting pregnant from UN soldiers. By the time the child is born, the soldier is gone. Beside Cholera and abuse to the population, this is one of the problems in having a foreign force occupying your country and one overlooked by the Haitian government.

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There was no other multi- faceted development program ever before in Haiti like the work of watershed management in the Morne Hospital area. The primary object of the project was to reduce flood risks in the Morne Hospital and its surrounding area. Every year even a slightest rain used to cause real danger in the slopping alluvial areas and many other parts of Port-au-Prince.

The project under the program employed over 4,035 people living in the downstream areas. In addition to reducing flood risks and risks to human lives, the project was unmatched in offering many other benefits like creation of jobs, creating awareness to protect environment, reduction of community violence, improving health condition and strengthening the internal drainage of the city.

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Uruguay deployed peace keeping force in Haiti since when chaos erupted at the end of Jean-Bertrand Aristide's presidency in 2004. It was a part of United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Uruguay has contributed almost 1,000 soldiers to the 9000 strong U. N peace keeping mission in Haiti. The force has been under intense scrutiny for years and is blamed for many reasons.

Last year at Port-au-Prince, the protesters clashed with the police while demanding withdrawal of this peace keeping force from the country. They were angry over an alleged sexual assault over an 18-year-old Haitian man by peacekeepers from Uruguay.

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This is new in Haitian politic. A seating Senator went in front of the Parliament of another country to complaint about his own executive branch of government. Senator Simon Dieuseul Desras went before the Parliament of Chile to complaint about Michel Martelly.

Senator Simon Dieuseul Desras Ale en Chili Pou li mande Ed ak Matador Sipeb Sa Yo bay pou Matelly-a

Talking about sovereignty. It does not exist anymore

" Si martelly Gin Blan Pa-li, Pouki sa Senate Paka Gin blan pa li Tou"

The Haitian Senator went looking for solidarity from the Parliament of Chile to help them fight the government of Michel Martelly as he considers Haiti moving towards ungovernability under the impulse of unconstitutional, as well as illegal and arbitrary practices of the Executive.

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