Several hundred Haitians fought with police and security forces on Sept. 5 in a protest demanding that U.N. troops leave their country. The U.N. has had a military presence in Haiti since 2004, when popularly elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was driven out in a U.S.-backed coup. It currently maintains a “peacekeeping” force of 12,000 troops and police personnel stationed in the country.
Protesters threw rocks at riot-clad Haitian police, who responded by firing tear gas at the crowd. Resentment is growing against the U.N. presence, which is seen by many Haitians as an occupying force. The latest demonstration came in response to allegations that an 18-year-old man was sexually abused by a group of Uruguayan U.N. personnel. A video of the incident was captured on a cell phone camera and widely broadcast.
On Sept. 19, a Uruguayan military judge ordered the Uruguayan “peacekeepers” to be jailed until a tribunal decides whether to dishonorably discharge them.
