The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) said on Oct. 12 that it was concerned about reports that arms are being distributed ahead of next month’s elections in Haiti.
MINUSTAH, therefore, urged the public with knowledge of any such distribution to come forward and share it with the national and U.N. police, and with international election observers.
“These allegations, which recur every time there is an election, without further specifics, are emerging again,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s special representative, Edmond Mulet, said in a statement.
MINUSTAH also called on all candidates in the presidential, legislative and senatorial elections to think of the country’s future and about programs “that will restore hope to the people.”
The Nov. 28 polls will take place as the country is still reeling from Jan. 12 quake, which killed an estimated 200,000 people and displaced about 1.3 million others.
MINUSTAH, which now has nearly 12,000 military and police personnel deployed around the country, has been on the ground since mid-2004 after then president Jean-Bertrand Aristide went into exile amid violent unrest.
