Misplaced Pages

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79-468: The neighborhood is located at the western end of the runway of Toussaint Louverture International Airport and adjoins the grounds of the former Hasco Haitian American Sugar complex. It began with the construction in 1958 of homes for 52 families. In the summer of 1966, a mysterious fire in the slum of La Saline displaced many of its residents. 1,197 homes were built there and it was named Cité Simone, after Haiti's First Lady Simone Ovide Duvalier . In 1972,

158-666: A major earthquake . The Mission's Chief, Hédi Annabi , was reported dead on 13 January by President René Préval and French news sources, and on 16 January, the United Nations confirmed the death after his body was recovered by a search and rescue team from China . Principal Deputy Special Representative Luiz Carlos da Costa was also confirmed dead, as well as the Acting Police Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Superintendent Doug Coates, who were meeting with eight Chinese nationals—four peacekeepers and

237-518: A UN operation exchange of fire with criminals in Cité Soleil in late January 2007, the United States announced that it would contribute $ 20 million to create jobs in Cité Soleil. In early February 2007, 700 UN troops flooded Cité Soleil, resulting in a major gun battle. Although the troops make regular forcible entries into the area, a spokesperson said this one was the largest attempted so far by

316-494: A by-product of MINUSTAH crackdowns on criminals operating from slums. The UN and MINUSTAH expressed deep regret for any loss of life during operations. In early 2005, MINUSTAH force commander Lieutenant-General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira testified which was never aired publicly at a congressional commission in Brazil that "we are under extreme pressure from the international community to use violence", citing Canada, France, and

395-537: A delegation of four police officers from China—when the earthquake struck. The Chinese search and rescue team recovered the bodies of the ten individuals on 16 January 2010. Jens Kristensen, senior humanitarian officer for the UN, was rescued by a team from the state of Virginia after five days trapped in the rubble. In October 2010, a cholera outbreak was confirmed in Haiti—the first in the country's modern history. According to

474-525: A major fire near the central market of Port-au-Prince displaced yet more people who ended up in the Boston section of Cité Simone. In 1983, the census recorded 82,191 people in Cité Simone. Originally designed to house sugar workers, Cité Simone later housed manual laborers for a local Export Processing Zone (EPZ). Neoliberal reforms beginning in the early 1970s made this place a magnet for squatters from around

553-624: A major milestone. Ban also launched "a new approach" to cholera by the UN, in the form of a two-track plan. The UN would raise $ 400 million in voluntary contributions from member states, with $ 200 million dedicated to providing material assistance to communities most affected by cholera, and another $ 200 million going to fight the disease. However, the plan gained little traction among member states. Because remaining funds allocated to MINUSTAH were not required to be repurposed for cholera reparations, many member states took back their contributions, and by July 2017 just $ 9.22 million had been raised. From

632-635: A number of accusations of exploitation of children by MINUSTAH troops, including accusations that some MINUSTAH troops from Sri Lanka had lured hungry children with food, into sexual service to the troops, who allegedly handed the children around among themselves. In November 2007, 114 members of the 950-member Sri Lanka peacekeeping contingent in Haiti were accused of sexual misconduct and abuse. 108 members, including 3 officers were sent back after being implicated in alleged misconduct and sexual abuse. UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said: "The United Nations and

711-411: A sharp increase in lynchings and other mob attacks in Haiti. He said MINUSTAH, which now has 9,000 troops there, will launch a campaign to remind people that lynchings are a crime. On 2 August 2007, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Haiti to assess the role of the UN forces, announcing that he would visit Cité Soleil during his visit. He said that it was Haiti's largest slum and, as such,

790-495: Is Haiti's largest slum, it is the most important target for UN peacekeepers in gaining control over the armed gangs. The Haitian president René Préval has expressed ambivalent feelings about the UN security presence, saying, "If the Haitian people were asked if they wanted the UN forces to leave they would say yes." Survivors at times blame the UN peacekeepers for deaths of relatives. Critics of UN Stabilization Mission's plan feel that

869-436: Is a police mission of the United Nations dispatched to a country facing uncontained violence stemming from political unrest and from common criminals. Partidaries of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide have characterized MINUSTAH as an attempt by the United States, Canada and France to neutralize the supporters of Fanmi Lavalas , Aristide 's party. and secure the more pro-Western government of Gérard Latortue . The mission

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948-592: Is also a precedent as the first mission in the region to be led by the Brazilian and Chilean military, and almost entirely composed of, Latin American forces, particularly from Brazil , Argentina , Chile , Bolivia , Ecuador and Uruguay . From 1 September 2007 until his death following the earthquake on 12 January 2010 , the mission was led by Tunisian Hédi Annabi . India provided three units of around 500 police personnel for MINUSTAH. The Indian contingent joined

1027-785: Is an international airport in Tabarre , a commune of Port-au-Prince in Haiti. The airport is currently the busiest in Haiti and is an operating hub for Sunrise Airways . It is informally called "the Maïs-Gâté airport", named after the area in the Cul-de-Sac Plain where the airport was built. During the United States occupation of Haiti the United States Marine Corps stationed Marine Observation units using HS-1 and HS-2 aircraft in what later became Bowen Field (c. 1919). In 1942,

1106-545: The United Nations Security Council was convened at the request of CARICOM for the first time in four years to address the deteriorating situation in Haiti. On 29 February 2004, the Security Council passed a resolution "taking note of the resignation of Jean-Bertrand Aristide as President of Haiti and the swearing-in of President Boniface Alexandre as the acting President of Haiti in accordance with

1185-490: The devastating 2010 earthquake , it took nearly two weeks for relief aid to arrive in Cité-Soleil. Most of the residents of Cité-Soleil are children or young adults. The mortality rate is high from diseases such as AIDS , or from violence. At times Cité Soleil has been filled with armed gangs. Politically affiliated gangs or militias, often with quasi-official powers, have been a regular element of Haitian politics throughout

1264-723: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 4 August 2013, over 800,000 cases and 9,600 deaths had been reported since the outbreak first began in October 2010. MINUSTAH was linked with introducing the disease to the country by sources such as the CDC, the American Society for Microbiology, Yale Law School and the School of Public Health. The cause of the disease was attributed to faulty construction of UN sanitation systems in its base located in

1343-520: The Compagnie haïtienne de transports aériens beginning in 1961. In the 1950s and the 1960s, it served as an airbase for the US military in Haiti. The current airport located further northeast of Bowen Field was developed with grant money from the US government and mostly money collected from Haitian people (taxes, lottery, etc.), opened as François Duvalier International Airport in 1965, after the Haitian president at

1422-578: The Constitution of Haiti" and authorized the immediate deployment of a Multinational Interim Force. On 30 April 2004, MINUSTAH was established and given its mandate with a military component of up to 6,700 troops. In July, the General Assembly authorized the financing of the mission with US$ 200 million which followed a donors' conference in Washington DC. The first progress report from MINUSTAH

1501-466: The Haitian National Police to commit atrocities and massacres against Lavalas supporters and Haitian citizens. On 6 January 2006, UN mission head Juan Gabriel Valdés announced that MINUSTAH forces would undertake another action on Cité Soleil. On one side, traditional Haitian sectors criticized MINUSTAH for "standing by and not stopping the violence taking place in slums like Cité Soelil"; on

1580-535: The Haitian countryside and that these people work instead in cities, living in places such as the newly named Cité Soleil, though not for Hasco that Delatour shut down in 1987. This industrial sector was however damaged following the 1991 coup d'état that deposed President Jean-Bertrand Aristide , causing a boycott of Haitian products that closed the EPZ. Cité Soleil continued to be plagued by extreme poverty and persistent unemployment, with high rates of illiteracy. Half of

1659-661: The Haitian government. The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter services at the airport: The airport can be accessed by car (with parking space next to the terminal building) or by National Bus Route 1. [REDACTED] Media related to Toussaint Louverture International Airport at Wikimedia Commons United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti The United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti ( French : Mission des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en Haïti ), also known as MINUSTAH , an acronym of its French name,

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1738-476: The Haitian people were asked if they wanted the UN forces to leave they would say yes." Survivors frequently blame the UN peacekeepers for deaths of relatives. In April 2008, Haiti was facing a severe food crisis as well as governmental destabilization to Parliament's failure to ratify the president's choice of a prime minister. There were severe riots, so the UN force fired rubber bullets in Port-au-Prince and

1817-631: The International Terminal. It is a two-story concrete and glass structure. Lounges and a few retail stores are on the second floor of the main building. Check-in counters, gates and immigration facilities are on the lower floor. The Guy Malary Terminal (named after former Haitian Justice Minister Guy Malary ) is used for domestic flights. There are further buildings used for general aviation and cargo flights. The airport has three jet bridges , but most passengers walk onto aircraft from mobile stairs. The ramp area can handle 12 planes. The airport

1896-587: The Security Council deemed the situation in Haiti to be a threat to international peace and security in the region. According to its mandate from the UN Security Council , MINUSTAH was required to concentrate the use of its resources, including civilian police, on increasing security and protection during the electoral period and to assist with the restoration and maintenance of the rule of law, public safety and public order in Haiti. In 2004, UN peacekeepers entered Cité Soleil in an attempt to gain control of

1975-520: The Sri Lankan government deeply regret any sexual exploitation and abuse that has occurred." The Sri Lankan Officials claim that there is little tangible evidence on this case. After inquiry into the case the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has concluded 'acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (against children) were frequent and occurred usually at night, and at virtually every location where

2054-422: The U.N. insists that member states respect human rights, while rejecting any such responsibility for itself." Four months later, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued an apology for the UN's role in the cholera outbreak and stressed the organization's "moral responsibility" to fight the disease. Though the apology stopped short of admitting fault for introducing the disease to Haiti, many victim advocates saw it as

2133-523: The UN troops from Nepal "most likely" were the cause of the outbreak. The Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI), a Haitian coalition of lawyers, and the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), its U.S. affiliate, filed claims with MINUSTAH on behalf of 5,000 Haitian petitioners in November 2011. The claims asked for the installation of the water and sanitation infrastructure necessary to control

2212-675: The UN troops. On July 28, 2007, Edmond Mulet, the UN Special Representative in Haiti, warned of a sharp increase in lynchings and other mob attacks in Haiti. He said that the UN Stabilization Mission would launch a campaign to remind people that lynching is a crime . On August 2, 2007, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Haiti to assess the role of the UN forces, announcing that he would visit Cité Soleil during his visit. He said that as it

2291-480: The US Congress sent a letter to the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice , urging her and the organization to ensure that the cholera initiative was fully funded and implemented quickly. Nineteen US Representatives also wrote to Ban Ki-Moon to express concerns about the seeming lack of progress in the UN's cholera response. Ban Ki-moon told members of the US Congress that the UN was committed in helping Haiti overcome

2370-524: The USMC was sent to Haiti to build a facility to service Douglas O-38 aircraft used by Haiti Air Corps to observe Nazi German activity in the region. The USMC built Bowen Field (also known as Chancerelles Airport ), a small civilian and military airport located near Chancerelles area near the Baie de Port-au-Prince. Bowen Field was used by Haiti Air Corps for mail (1943) and passenger (1944) services, then succeeded by

2449-604: The United Nations Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) had been in Haiti since 2004, as of 2007, it continued to struggle for control over the armed gangs. It maintained an armed checkpoint at the entrance to the shanty town of Cité Soleil and a roadblock with armed vehicles. In January 2006, two Jordanian peacekeepers were killed in Cité Soleil. In October 2006, a heavily armed group of the Haitian National Police were able to enter Cité Soleil for

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2528-647: The United Nations mandate is unrealistic, treating a political problem as a security problem. On January 12, 2010, at 21:53 UTC (4:53 PM local time) Haiti was struck by a magnitude -7.0 earthquake , the country's most severe earthquake in over 200 years. The epicenter of the quake was just outside the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince , in Léogâne . As the biggest slum of Port-au-Prince, Cité Soleil fared relatively well, as most of its cinder block and corrugated steel shacks survived. Médecins Sans Frontières reopened its Choscal Hospital (which operated between 2005 and 2007 during

2607-447: The United States announced that it would contribute $ 20 million to create jobs in Cité Soleil. In early February 2007, 700 UN troops flooded Cité Soleil, which led to a major gun battle. Although the troops make regular forcible entries into the area, a spokesperson said this one was the largest attempted so far by the UN troops. On 28 July 2007, Edmond Mulet , the UN Special Representative in Haiti and MINUSTAH Mission Chief, warned of

2686-469: The United States. Having ended his tour of duty, on 1 September 2005, Heleno was replaced by General Urano Teixeira da Matta Bacellar as force commander of MINUSTAH. On 7 January 2006, Bacellar was found dead in his hotel room; the Federal District 's coroner's office concluded that the death was caused by a self-inflicted 9mm gunshot wound to the palate, though Dominican president Leonel Fernandez

2765-413: The acting police commissioner, RCMP Supt. Doug Coates of Canada . The mission subsequently concentrated on assisting the Haitian National Police in providing security, while American and Canadian military forces distributed and facilitated humanitarian aid. Due to fears of instability following the earthquake, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1944 extended MINUSTAH's mandate, and it

2844-468: The airport again as Toussaint Louverture International Airport in 2003 to honor Toussaint Louverture , the leader of the Haitian Revolution . The airport was badly damaged by the 2010 Haiti earthquake . On 25 November 2012, Haitian President Michel Joseph Martelly opened the newly repaired arrivals terminal. On 7 July 2021, following the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse ,

2923-414: The airport on 23 April and by mid-May had transported over 500 tons of material, including equipment for the Haitian National Police. During this time, civilian flights remained suspended. The airport was reopened for civilian airliners on 20 May, with Haitian passenger airline Sunrise Airways and American cargo airline Amerijet restoring service to Miami. The main building of the airport works as

3002-532: The airport was closed and flights were sent back to their origins. The airport was attacked by gangs alongside the March 2024 Haitian jailbreak , preventing acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry from returning to Haiti from overseas, and prompting the closure of the airport to commercial flights. By May 2024, authorities had nationalized space around the perimeter of the airport and torn down 350 buildings to increase security. The US military began flying cargo planes into

3081-456: The area and end the anarchy. and they killed Billy "2Pac" who played in Ghost of Cite Soleil The President of Guatemala also sent a small police delegation attached to TOMINUSHTA as translators Independent human rights organizations accused the Haitian National Police (HNP) and sometimes MINUSTAH of atrocities against civilians. It is still argued if any, or how many civilians were killed as

3160-486: The area. Since this is where the armed gangs take their kidnap victims, the Haitian police's ability to penetrate the area even for such a short time was seen as a sign of progress. Before Christmas 2006, the UN force announced that it would take a tougher stance against gang members in Port-au-Prince, but since then the atmosphere there has not improved; the armed roadblocks and barbed wire barricades have not been removed. After four people were killed and another six injured in

3239-560: The beginning, MINUSTAH was squeezed between traditional conservative sectors —which demanded more action— and the leftist parties, mainly linked to ousted President Aristide , which criticized its actions and constantly appealed for its departure. A number of scandals implicated MINUSTAH peacekeepers in sexual exploitation and abuse of Haitians, including Haitian children. Even though mostly composed by military forces—the recruitment of large numbers of foreign police officers has proven difficult—the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti

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3318-616: The cases was judged by Sri Lankan authorities to have been "consensual", and thus not criminal under Sri Lankan law. None of the Sri Lankans were imprisoned. In 2011, four Uruguayan UN marines were accused of gang raping a 19-year-old Haitian male in Port-Salut . It was said the alleged rape was recorded with a cell phone by the peacekeepers themselves and leaked to the Internet. The teenager and his family were forced to relocate their house after

3397-524: The cholera epidemic. In January 2015, Judge J. Paul Oetken of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan dismissed the lawsuit, affirming UN immunity. In May 2015, an appeal to Oetken's decision was filed. In February 2013, the Haitian government created its National Plan for the Elimination of Cholera, a 10-year plan set to eradicate the disease. Two of the ten years will be devoted as a short-term response to

3476-463: The cholera outbreak." In August 2016, a report written by UN special rapporteur Philip Alston was leaked to the New York Times . Alston issued a scathing condemnation of the UN's legal approach to cholera in Haiti, which he termed "morally unconscionable, legally indefensible and politically self-defeating." Alston also lamented that the UN's approach "upholds a double standard according to which

3555-415: The city's population was terrorized by armed gangs which drove the local police out; this situation prevented officials aid workers from intervening to provide help. In 1999, Cité Soleil was set on fire by a gang and at least 50 shacks were burned. By 2002, the violence escalated as the gangs began warring with each other in addition to preying on ordinary people. Many inhabitants had temporarily left to escape

3634-469: The conduct of the mission and its personnel, the United Nations Security Council announced that the mission would end in October 2017. It was replaced by a much smaller follow-up mission, the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), which itself concluded in 2019. MINUSTAH was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1542 on 30 April 2004 because

3713-475: The contingent personnel were deployed.' The OIOS had assisted in the pending legal proceedings initiated by the Sri Lankan Government and has said charges should include statutory rape "because it involves children under 18 years of age". Ultimately, several Sri Lankan personnel were disciplined, and some officers were "asked" to resign, for violations of military rules. However, the sexual activity in

3792-412: The country's history . The fighting led to wide scale charges by neighborhood residents that the United Nations stabilizing force has permitted conditions that led to the death of unarmed bystanders. In 2004 they were accused of ignoring violence by the Haitian police, the criminal roots of the kidnapping and undermining of president Jean Bertrand Aristide 's security police force. During the mid-1990s,

3871-457: The countryside looking for work in the newly constructed factories. This movement accelerated in the early 1980s with the destruction of the Creole pigs by American order in response to an African swine flu outbreak, followed by the rise of Finance Minister Leslie Delatour who took this post following the ouster of Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1986. Delatour openly advocated the depopulation of much of

3950-600: The epidemic though no financial compensation to the victims would be granted. Since 2010, the UN has spent and/or committed more than $ 140 million to the epidemic. On 9 May 2013, the Haitian Senate unanimously voted—save for one abstention—on a policy that would demand the UN to compensate the nation's cholera victims. The Senators also proposed to form "a commission of experts in international and penal law to study what legal means, both nationally and internationally, could be used to prove MINUSTAH's responsibility for starting

4029-551: The epidemic, compensation for the victims, and an apology. Fifteen months later, in February 2013, the UN stated that the case was "not receivable," because it involved "review of policy matters", citing the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations . In October 2013, BAI, IJDH, and another U.S. law firm filed a lawsuit challenging UN immunity in U.S. federal court on behalf of Haitian and Haitian-American victims of

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4108-436: The epidemic. The last eight will be to completely eliminate the disease. The projected budget for the plan is $ 2 billion. To support the initiative, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pledged $ 23.5 million to combat cholera. However, following the pledge, there was much discontent with the UN's progress. 19 members of the U.S. Congress urged the UN to take responsibility for cholera in Haiti. In two separate occasions, members of

4187-507: The first time in three years and were able to remain one hour as armoured UN troops patrolled the area. Since this is where the armed gangs take their kidnap victims, the police's ability to penetrate the area even for such a short time was seen as a sign of progress. The situation of continuing violence is similar in Port-au-Prince . Ex-soldiers, supporters of the ex-president, occupied the home of ex-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide against

4266-436: The gang war) in the heart of the slum within 24 hours. However, the area remained in desperate need of help, according to World Emergency Relief. Gang members who escaped from Haiti's damaged prison returned to the area to continue to commit crimes. The crime rate rose and police urged citizens to take matters into their own hands. As of January 23, 2010, Cité Soleil had largely remained neglected by earthquake relief workers and

4345-402: The houses of Cité Soleil are made of cement with a metal roof, half are made completely of scavenged material. An estimated 60 to 70 percent of houses have no access to a latrine, particularly in the marshy Brooklyn area which includes Cité Carton. Armed gangs roamed the streets and terrorized the neighborhood. Every area of a few blocks was controlled by one of more than 30 armed factions. After

4424-468: The mission in October 2008, and were stationed in Port-au-Prince and Hinche. They were tasked with maintaining law and order, setting up and operating checkpoints, and anti-crime operations. Two Indian police units remained in Haiti after MINUSTAH ended on 15 October 2017, to serve in the successor mission, the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH). On 23 February 2004,

4503-438: The neighbourhood, resulting in the death of 47 gang members and 42 civilians. The United Nations Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) has been in Haiti since 2004. It now numbers 8,000 troops but continues to struggle for control over the armed gangs. In October 2006, a group of heavily armed Haitian police were able to enter Cité Soleil for the first time in three years and were able to remain one hour as armored UN troops patrolled

4582-529: The occupation" and burned the flag of Brazil , as representative of the largest contingent of MINUSTAH. On 12 January 2010, the United Nations reported that headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the Christopher Hotel in Port-au-Prince, collapsed, and several other UN facilities were damaged; a large number of UN personnel were unaccounted for in the aftermath of

4661-542: The other hand, human rights groups were prepared to condemn MINUSTAH for any collateral damage deriving from their actions. It was reported that Valdés said, "We are going to intervene in the coming days. I think there'll be collateral damage but we have to impose our force, there is no other way." MINUSTAH soldiers have been accused of being involved in a number of cases of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) of Haitians—including various sexual assault cases, and cases of child rape and child sexual exploitation. There were

4740-446: The raid targeted civilians and was an attempt to destroy the popular support for Haiti's exiled former leader, Aristide, before scheduled upcoming elections. Estimates on the number of fatalities range from five to as high as 80, with the higher numbers being claimed by those reporting that the raid targeted civilians. All sources agree that no MINUSTAH personnel were killed. All sources also agree that Dread Wilme (born "Emmanuel Wilmer")

4819-425: The riot calmed. The head of MINUSTAH called for a new government to be chosen as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the UN provided emergency food. Haiti was hit by four consecutive hurricanes between August and September 2008. These storms crippled coastal regions, requiring humanitarian aid for 800,000 people. Critics of MINUSTAH's goal of providing security said that the provision of increased police presence came with

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4898-446: The road is blocked with armed vehicles. In December 2004, a group of armed ex-soldiers occupied Aristide's home against the wishes of the Haitian government. In January 2006, two Jordanian peacekeepers were killed in Cité Soleil. The UN has described the human rights situation in Haiti as "catastrophic". On July 7, 2022, a gang warfare erupted between the G9 and G-Pèp gangs over the control of

4977-399: The time, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier . The old Bowen field was decommissioned after 1994 and is now hosts Internally Displaced Persons Camp and Centre Sportif. The runway is now part of Avenue Haile Selassie. Duvalier's son and successor, Jean-Claude Duvalier , resigned in 1986. The airport was renamed Port-au-Prince International Airport. Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide renamed

5056-498: The town of Méyè . Many reports from Méyè stated that people had seen sewage spilling from the UN base into the Artibonite River , the largest river in Haiti, and which is used by residents for drinking, cooking, and bathing. In December 2010, a study traced the Haitian cholera strain to South Asia . The UN conducted an independent investigation into the origin of the epidemic at the end of 2010. A panel of independent UN experts

5135-489: The turmoil. In a series of operations from 2004 to 2007, UN peacekeepers tried to seize control from the gangs in Cité Soleil and end the chaos. Although the United Nations Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) has been deployed since 2004, it continues to struggle for control over the armed gangs and the violent confrontations continue. MINUSTAH maintains an armed checkpoint at the entrance to Cité Soleil and

5214-498: The unfortunate consequence of neglecting the vast socioeconomic problems in the area, the lack of effort in addressing infrastructure improvement, the joblessness, and the pervasive poverty. In 2009, with the appointment of former U.S. President Bill Clinton as the UN Special Envoy, there was hope that the international donor community would provide increased aid. MINUSTAH renewed its commitment to Haiti, and $ 3 billion for projects

5293-432: The video went viral. Ultimately, the victim went to Uruguay to testify against the accused, and four of the five accused were convicted of "private violence" (a lesser charge than rape or assault). The outcome was viewed as a rare victory, of sorts, for victims of U.N. peacekeepers, because the perpetrators are rarely convicted for their crimes. In March 2012, three Pakistani MINUSTAH officers were found guilty of raping

5372-433: The wishes of the Haitian government. Before Christmas 2006, the UN force announced that it would take a tougher stance against gang members in Port-au-Prince. However, since then, the atmosphere there has not improved and the armed roadblocks and barbed wire barricades have not been moved. After four people were killed and another six injured in a UN operation exchange of fire with criminals in Cité Soleil in late January 2007,

5451-631: Was a UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti from 2004 to 2017. It was composed of 2,366 military personnel and 2,533 police, supported by international civilian personnel, a local civilian staff, and United Nations Volunteers. The mission's military component was led by the Brazilian Army and commanded by a Brazilian. The devastating January 2010 Haiti earthquake destroyed MINUSTAH's headquarters in Port-au-Prince and killed its chief, Hédi Annabi of Tunisia , his deputy Luiz Carlos da Costa of Brazil , and

5530-501: Was assembled and their collective findings were compiled in a report. The panel determined that the evidence implicating the Nepalese troops was inconclusive. Though they admitted that the cholera strain was most likely from Nepal, it cited a confluence of factors that also contributed to the outbreak and that no one "deliberate action of, a group or individual was to blame". However, in 2013, the committee changed its statement concluding that

5609-423: Was doing what it could to survive and help on its own. Samaritan's Purse worked in Cité Soleil by building the largest cholera treatment center during the outbreak . Toussaint Louverture International Airport Toussaint Louverture International Airport ( Haitian Creole : Ayewopò Entènasyonal Tousen Louvèti , French : Aéroport International Toussaint Louverture ) ( IATA : PAP , ICAO : MTPP )

5688-465: Was killed in the raid. MINUSTAH spokespeople called Wilme a "gangster." Other sources, such as the pro-Aristide Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network call Wilme a community leader and a martyr . The incident has been since heralded by groups who oppose the MINUSTAH presence in Haiti and who support the return of ousted President Aristide. MINUSTAH has also been accused by Fanmi Lavalas supporters of allowing

5767-568: Was mandated to assist and reinforce the action of the Haitian Police in Port-au-Prince's slums. On 6 July 2005, MINUSTAH, led by Brazilian general Augusto Heleno carried out a raid in the Cité Soleil section of Port-au-Prince . The raid targeted a base of illegally armed rebels led by the known bandit Dread Wilme . Reports from pro-Lavalas sources, as well as journalist Kevin Pina , contend that

5846-570: Was periodically renewed until 2017. Though effective in halting widespread violence, building a national police force, and stabilizing Haiti, the mission was troubled from the start by some Haitians' objections to encroachment on their nation's sovereignty, then by the deadly introduction of cholera by Nepalese peacekeepers (ultimately killing over 9,000 Haitians), and by various allegations of human rights abuses, and sexual exploitation and abuse of Haitans (including children), by MINUSTAH personnel. On April 13, 2017, amid growing controversy over

5925-419: Was pledged by the international community, mainly for rebuilding after the hurricanes. However, in Cité Soleil, there were signs of a desire for political independence from the efforts of the international community. In October 2010, nine months after the earthquake, the UN extended MINUSTAH's mission. In the capital, there were protests from those who want the MINUSTAH to leave. Demonstrators chanted "Down with

6004-479: Was released at the end of August. In September the interim president of Haiti, Boniface Alexandre, spoke to the United Nations General Assembly in support of MINUSTAH. In November there was a second report, and the Security Council mandate for MINUSTAH. The mandate has most recently been extended by the Security Council until October 2010 "with the intention of further renewal". Although

6083-551: Was shown to have expressed skepticism in leaked diplomatic cables. His interim replacement was Chilean General Eduardo Aldunate Hermann. On 17 January 2006, it was announced that Brazilian General José Elito Carvalho Siqueira would be the permanent replacement for Bacellar as the head of the United Nations' Haiti force. On 14 February 2006, in its Resolution 1658 , the United Nations Security Council extended MINUSTAH's mandate until 15 August 2006. MINUSTAH

6162-413: Was the most important target for U.N. peacekeepers in gaining control over the armed gangs. During his visit, he announced an extension of the mandate of the UN forces in Haiti. It took MINUSTAH three months and 800 arrests to deal with the gangs and decrease the number of kidnappings on the streets. President René Préval has expressed ambivalent feelings about the UN security presence, stating that "if

6241-469: Was to be re-designed completely by 2015. The re-making of the airport was to add 14 gates to the terminal and also will make the main passenger terminal bigger. As of 15 June 2016, a taxiway is under construction to increase traffic capacity, as taxiing aircraft currently must use the active runway to taxi to their takeoff position. Work is being performed by China National Automation Control System Corporation which has multiple large construction contracts with

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