UN troops help patrol Haitian capital following outbreak of deadly violence

Troops and police officers from the United Nations peacekeeping mission are patrolling the downtown areas of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, where the situation remains tense after several days of deadly violence there.

The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) is supporting the National Police in its efforts to maintain order in Port-au-Prince, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters today.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative to Haiti, Juan Gabriel Valdés, who met interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue yesterday to review the situation, is slated to hold more meetings today.

Three police officers were killed and four leaders of the Fanmi Lavalas political party were arrested in a wave of violence that swept Port-au-Prince at the weekend.

Haiti, already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is also having to deal with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Jeanne, which led to the deaths of more than 1,500 people when it struck the north of the country last month.

In Gonaïves, the hardest-hit city, MINUSTAH peacekeepers continue to secure points around the city to distribute food and clean water to local residents.