ARTICLE - UN - WITHDRAWAL TIMETABLE

THE MINUSTAH IN ADVANCE OF ITS WITHDRAWAL TIMETABLE
(Haiti Libre) -

Major General Eduardo Luiz Pereira Ramos, Force Commander of the UN Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (Minustah), speaking on the withdrawal process of UN staff in Haiti, declared "...one of my most dear wishes, as Force Commander of the MINUSTAH, is to see a steady improvement in the lives of the Haitian people. Given the fact that when the rule of law, the security, the stabilization efforts are improving, Haiti does not need as many troops of the UN.

[...] This is what the Security Council decided last year during the renewal of mandate of the MINUSTAH, in resolution 2012 of the Security Council, which is at the origin of the reduction process of the military police and civilian staff, who had been reinforced after the earthquake [January 2010], to meet the immediate needs of the population. More specifically, the military component will have to reduce the number of its workforce to 7,340. We have already completed more than 80% of this reduction, which is done through the regular rotation of troops and, by the end of April 2012, the reduction will be 100% complete. That is well before the scheduled date of June 30, 2012.

In accordance with the reduction plan of troops, the military component has started a reconfiguration process to maximize the effectiveness of its presence. The forces that will be on site will be concentrated in high risk areas, and through a close coordination with the UNPol, the need for a permanent presence of military and Formed Police Units in these areas will be no longer necessary..."

A reminder for our readers, that this withdrawal only concerns 1,600 people, bringing the number to the level before January 12, 2010. Concerning the real UN troop withdrawal from Haiti, the subject is not on the agenda for the moment, when it is already a question of renewal in the mandate of the Minustah, in October.