OneWorld.net (U.S.)

Press release, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 14 February 2007

The current shift in tactics by the United Nations stabilization mission (MINUSTAH) and the Haitian government towards direct confrontation with armed gangs will only temporarily reduce insecurity - especially while dubious ties with gang leaders and supporters remain, the international NGO ActionAid says today.

"We welcome the recent announcement of UN Secretary General Representative Mr. Edmond Mulet confirming that the Security Council is looking at ways to inject new dynamism into the judicial reform program," said Raphael Yves Pierre, the Country Director of ActionAid in Haiti. "However the current approach to disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme -DDR- cannot continue."

Last Friday (February 9) more than 700 United Nations troops went into an area of the Cité Soleil quarter of the capital Port-au-Prince, where one of the most notorious gang leaders and his "army" are said to have their base, but were only able to find one weapon.

"It is imperative that both the sources and storage of illegal weapons be targeted," said Mr Yves Pierre. "The current DDR program remains too ambiguous and it is not transparent enough, either through lack of capacity or political will or a combination of both.

"What is needed is a bold democratic national strategy to reform the police and judicial system involving a broad spectrum of Haitian society."

"The lives of ordinary people in Haiti will only see real and lasting improvements if international donors and the Haitian government coordinate their efforts to genuinely implement the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme," added Adriano Campolina, ActionAid Director for the Americas.

"The international community has to genuinely start engaging with local people and investing in development if it is to bring about long term stability and tackle the deteriorating situation."

ENDS