THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 10, 1996 TAG: 9605100507
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: UNITED NATIONS LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
Peacekeepers may have to stay in Haiti into 1997 to ensure stability even though their mandate expires in June, the U.N. special representative for the island said Thursday.
Enrique Ter Horst told reporters ``it is clear'' that Haiti's new national police force ``is not in a position to take over the securing of a stable environment.''
About 1,900 U.N. peacekeepers and 300 international police are in Haiti as part of a scaled-down mandate approved by the Security Council in February.
U.N. troops were sent to Haiti in March 1995 to replace the U.S.-led multinational force that restored President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power the previous October. Rene Preval succeeded Aristide in February after national elections.
At the height of the operation, the United Nations had about 6,000 peacekeepers in Haiti, including 2,400 Americans. Nearly all the U.S. troops were withdrawn early this year. by CNB