Haiti 'could be criminal state'

2004-09-25 07:55

Washington - Haiti will sink "from a failed state to a criminal state" if its interim government and the UN mission currently operating there fail to ensure a stable and secure environment for elections in 2005, the US Congress has warned.

"The failure to establish a secure and stable environment and to conduct credible and inclusive elections will likely result in Haitis complete transition from a failed state to a criminal state," the US Senate said in a resolution unanimously approved late on Thursday.

The resolution, added to the 2005 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, called on Secretary of State Colin Powell "to redouble his efforts to encourage contributions of additional personnel to Minustah," the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti.

The UN Security Council in April 2004 authorised deployment of 6 700 military and 1 622 civilian police personnel to Haiti but as of July 31, only 2 259 military and 224 civilians had been sent, according to the text of the resolution.

Minustah must confront and resolve security threats to Haiti's government and people, the resolution said.

It called on the United Nations and the Organisation of American States to speed disbursement of "sufficient assistance" to enable Haiti's interim government to assist victims of Tropical Storm Jeanne, promote economic development and hold elections.

"The immediate challenges facing Haiti are addressing the insecurity and instability caused by armed groups who are undermining the ability of the interim government of Haiti to combat poverty and create the conditions for free and fair elections; establishing the rule of law; and economic reactivation and job creation," the resolution said.

The death toll in northern Haiti's flooding rose to 1 160, with 1 250 missing, many of them feared dead, Civil Protection Office spokesperson Dieufort Delorge announced on Friday.

The floods were spawned on September 18 by Jeanne, then a tropical storm, which has now strengthened into a hurricane that threatens Florida's Atlantic coast.

One of the world's poorest countries, Haiti also has the worst deforestation in the western hemisphere, depriving many areas of natural protection from flooding.

- AFP