ARTICLE - UN DENOUNCED BY RNDDH

UNITED NAITONS MISSION DENOUNCED BY HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION
(Defend Haiti) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE – On December 14, 2011, the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) received in its office, a complaint alleging an incident in which three (3) Haitian citizens were brutally beaten by officers of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

Given the gravity of the facts advanced by the above individuals and the many different injuries and bruises seen on the bodyies of the latter, the RNDDH decided to undertake an investigation in order to learn more about the incident. RNDDH also proposes here to share with everyone interested in the question, the conclusions of their investigations.

Methodology: As part of this investigation, RNDDH, after first obtaining the information from the individuals abused, visited the scene and spoke with: Members of the public; Witnesses - who were there as a part of the incident; The Justice of the Peace Court of Cite Soleil, Léonel Marcelus; A patrol of MINUSTAH.

The facts: On December 13, 2011 in the afternoon, Joseph and Abel JOSEPH GILBERT, aged respectively twenty-nine (29) and twenty (20) years old, boarded a water delivery truck registered as ZA-08937. They came to ensure a delivery in Cite Soleil, to an area known as Old Fort Sunday, when the truck broke down.

At dusk and after many attempts to repair the truck, they realized that they had to leave the truck there. They decided to stay on site in order to secure the truck and the equipment attached thereto. Armos BAZILE, whose uncle is a client of Joseph GILBERT, joined them about 10 h00 in the evening to spend the night with them. He is nineteen (19)-years-old.

It was around three (3) in the morning when agents of a Brazilian contingent of MINUSTAH, in a routine patrol, passed near the truck. After having passed the truck, the patrol stopped their vehicle and the soldiers walked back up to the individuals listed above. When they came to them, these soldiers arrested them without any explanation. They forced them to empty their pockets, which amounted to the sum of four thousand five hundred (4,500) gourds representing the amount of three (3) trucks of water delivered during the day and a phone number belonging to Gilbert JOSEPH 3935-0529.

MINUSTAH officers also seized the license of Gilbert Joseph and the national identification cards, of his two (2) companions before taking them to the courtyard of the Joint Educational Institution of La Saline, a school of which the court is used by the inhabitants of the area to dry clay.

With kicks and punches, Gilbert Joseph, Abel and Joseph Armos BAZILE were tortured in the courtyard of the Joint Educational Institution of La Saline.

The victims had visible signs of physical abuse. They were beaten to the point where they could not sit.

Witnesses, after hearing the cries of the victims who called for help, went out onto the courtyard of the institution above and stated to the MINUSTAH officers that the three (3) individuals that they were beating to death were regulars to the area, known by all.

Offended by this intervention and to prevent similar intrusions, MINUSTAH officials forced the victims back into their vehicle and took them on Route 9, to a banana plantation, not far from Wells Brant. Some members of the population met them at the scene. The vehicle of MINUSTAH involved in this incident is registered as 24775-A, and according to others, it is registered as A-24757.

Arriving on Highway 9, UN officials stripped the victims and still violently abused them. This time, added to the kicks, a member of the MINUSTAH, with a machete, beat the victims. They used their clothes to make a fire before deciding to abandon them altogether.

The incident occurred on Route 9, on the night of 13 to 14 December 2011, results which shows a contempt of MINUSTAH officials who, upon their arrival in Haiti, have shown their true light: being barbaric, violent, and acting without respect for human rights.

Indeed, officials of MINUSTAH continue to be involved in serious wrongdoings such as theft, rape, gang rape, physical abuse, sexual exploitation, murder, sodomy, beatings, etc.. Despite the fact that many victims have complained, they have never gotten justice and reparations. Consequently, today, for more of them, MINUSTAH is emerging as a force above the law, which benefits from the passivity and permissiveness of the United Nations (UN). It is amazing that despite the growing hostility of the population vis-à-vis the UN Mission, MINUSTAH officials continue to engage in acts of flagrant violations of human rights, instead of trying to regain the confidence of Haitians.

Comments and Recommendations: RNDDH condemns the involvement of officials of MINUSTAH as an additional act of violation of human rights.

Moreover, no provision is being made by the Security Council of the United Nations to bring the authorities of the contributing countries of the UN force to severely punish their nationals who are complained of and the harm that they have caused to victims by officers.

Haiti's population does not want to continue to heal the wounds,... and try to restore the confidence of boys, girls and women victims of rape by officials of MINUSTAH.

Faced with this cascade of human rights violations, RNDDH recommends that the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and officials of MINUSTAH to:

Conduct an investigation to bring about light around all incidents involving the staff of MINUSTAH;

Take appropriate sanctions against any officials of MINUSTAH involved in acts of violation of human rights;

Make every effort to regain control of MINUSTAH troops.

RNDDH condemns the involvement of officials of MINUSTAH in an additional act of violation of human rights.