Bwa Neuf: MINUSTAH Takes Two New Positions
A child plays soccer in front of a mural at Dred Wilmer's old base as UN soldiers take control of the area on February 28, 2007. A community leader in the Bwa Neuf zone of Cité Soleil, Wilmer was killed under disputed circumstances in 2005. The section of Route 9 Soleil that runs through Bwa Neuf was renamed Boulevard Dred Wilmer in his honor.
(In the above photo, Dred Wilmer smokes marijuana in his underwear, as seen on the mural at his former base.)
MINUSTAH (The United Nations Stabilizaton Mission in Haiti) took two new positions in the Bwa Neuf zone on the 28th, and now occupy Bélony's home, the former leader of the zone and Wilmer's successor. No shots were fired. MINUSTAH is now fully entrenched in Cité Soleil which leads many to believe large scale social programs can begin unhindered by the type of violence once common in the bidonville only weeks ago.
Since the beginning of February, MINUSTAH has taken a half dozen new bases in the slum, some of which were schools, angering residents whose childern are no longer able to go to school. The schools in the area are often the highest structures around, which gives UN soldiers an advantage as they can see the surrounding area. But according to the UN, the buildings were being used by the gangs to fire on UN soldiers.
Bélony, who was targeted by the UN, is rumored to be in the Saint-Michel area currently with 100 armed men, raising new fears.
Resistance to the UN in Cité Soleil from armed gangs is said to be finished. However, demonstrations from human rights and civic groups will continue. The leaders of the gangs are underground and their weapons hidden, but available.
The UN mission has an opportunity in Cité Soleil to gain the residents trust, something they have been unable to garner since the outset of the mission, which began two months after the former President Jean Bertrand Aristide was forced from power on February 29, 2004. Historically, the UN has blown opportunites such as this.
In September and October 2006, Cité Soleil was at a relative calm. On Thursday, October 19, UN soldiers and engineers began demolishing abondoned homes in order to connect a narrow road that runs parallel to Strong-Point 16, a UN base, with Route 9 Soleil. They did so without consulting community leaders or offering residents compensation. The ensuing gun battle between the gangs and the UN left two school girls and an older man dead, which resulted in months of fighting that has only just ended.
Comments
Nick,
What a beautiful photo of the child playing soccer. Thank you for this info. I am beginning to have a better understanding of the situation in Cite Soleil.
Posted by: Maria Whalen | March 1, 2007 05:57 PM
The photos bring me back to one of the most fearful times of my life, but also one of the most enlightening. Sitting in the internet cafe watching you write this story was AWESOME. The effort that was put forth that day to hopefully inform the rest of the world is most honorable.
Posted by: Tony Whalen | March 7, 2007 07:00 AM
Thanks for the photos of Chavez & Preval at the National Palace -- the PaP White House -- and your news items accompanying it. I had given up hope of any positive coverage of the Chavez visit to Haiti until I read your posting. Last time I stood in front of the National Palace Baby Doc was inside the fence riding around on his red motorcycle. Haiti's new leadership is a change in the right direction and thanks to Venezuela for sharing its wealth via petrol & road building. To those who say Venezuela has not given enough and "the US has given more" -- I urge them to look at what the US has given -- coups, puppetry for leadership, death, destruction of property & endless misery.
Posted by: joan drake | March 15, 2007 08:07 AM