Annan, Security Council express indignation about killing of UN peacekeeper in Haiti

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Security Council have expressed indignation about the shooting death of a Philippine soldier serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti.

"The Secretary-General shares the indignation expressed yesterday in Haiti by Security Council members and vigorously condemns all violence against UN personnel," Mr. Annan's spokesman said in a statement on the shooting, which occurred while the soldier was supervising the erection of a checkpoint in a low-income district of the capital Port-au-Prince.

Mr. Annan also sent his condolences to the soldier's family, contingent and Government and repeated the resolve of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) "to continue to work towards the establishment of a peaceful environment in Haiti," the statement said.

The Secretary-General noted that this was the third fatality since the mission started in June 2004, he said.

The Council delegation, on a fact-finding visit to Haiti which ends tomorrow, said last night that they "condemn with the utmost vigour both this despicable act committed against a peacekeeper and continued violence against MINUSTAH, representatives of the international community and the people of Haiti."

The members expressed solidarity with the residents of the Port-au-Prince district, Cité Soleil, who faced violence and intimidation by armed groups, adding, "The purpose of MINUSTAH's presence in Cité Soleil is to assist the population to recover stability and social progress."

They called for every effort to be made to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Security Council delegation also attended a memorial service for the soldier, which had been originally scheduled to honour the Philippine contingent’s completion of six months of service with MINUSTAH.

Philippine Ambassador Lauro Baja, in addition to expressing great sorrow over his countryman’s death, praised the peacekeepers for their courage, calling them “the best ambassadors of goodwill.” He was accompanied by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Haiti, Juan Gabriel Valdés.

This morning, the Council mission held private meetings with Haitian political and civil society leaders and representatives. It is now splitting into two groups, with one being flown to the city of Cap Haïtien and the other to Gonaïves.