UN envoy: China has greater role in Haiti peacekeeping operations
Updated: 2007-12-08 17:15
A small island country in the Western Caribbean Sea, Haiti fell into chaos in 2004 after former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide's government collapsed.
Since then, a 7,800-member UN force has been tasked with providing security for the violence-wracked nation of about 8.7 million people. The UN Security Council recently renewed its mission through October 2008.
Since the arrival of the UN force, the security situation in Haiti has improved, said the Tunisian diplomat who took control of the UN system in Haiti in September.
However, he said the situation is still "fragile" and that Haitian police trained by the world body are not ready yet to take over the duty of maintaining security.
"You don't create a police force in two or three years. ... It may takes 10, 20 or 30 years," he said.
"I hope when we leave Haiti, the country will have stabilization and there will be no more peacekeeping operations in Haiti. Once we leave, we won't come back," he said.
The UN envoy also vowed zero tolerance for alleged sex scandals involving his troops in Haiti.
In November, 108 Sri Lankan peacekeepers and three commanders were expelled amid allegations that soldiers patronized underage prostitutes.
"We won't let this affect the image of a country and also the image of the UN," he said.
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