[News] Brutal UN Attack on Haitian Street Vendors

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Haiti Action Committee Urgent Alert - Take Action Now!
Protest Brutal Attack on Haitian Street Vendors by U.N. Soldiers

On Saturday, April 11th, a little past 3 p.m., a 
MINUSTAH (UN) soldier, Nigerian Cpl. Nagya Aminu, 
was shot and killed in downtown Port-au-Prince. 
While this killing was widely reported in the 
international media, what followed the killing was not.

In the immediate aftermath of the killing, at 
approximately 3:30 p.m. that same afternoon, 
MINUSTAH troops launched a massive assault on 
Haitian vendors at the open-air sidewalk market 
near the main Cathedral in downtown 
Port-au-Prince—the area where the soldier had been killed.

According to many different street vendors who 
directly witnessed the MINUSTAH assault, four or 
five MINUSTAH soldiers emerged from parked trucks 
near the market and began smashing up the 
property of street vendors, setting the market on 
fire, setting off tear gas, and shooting directly at unarmed vendors.

According to one vendor, MINUSTAH soldiers used 
flame throwers to torch the stalls. He said the 
soldiers also grabbed hammers and began 
destroying property. This vendor was hit in the 
head by MINUSTAH soldiers with these hammers. On 
April 17th, he showed a member of the Haiti 
Action Committee and other US human rights 
observers a massive wound to his head and a blood 
soaked shirt. He lost consciousness and was taken 
by a friend to the St. Joseph Hospital nearby.

Another vendor reported that he was shot in the 
leg by MINUSTAH soldiers and showed his wound to 
the delegation. He also showed his medical 
records from St. Joseph's Hospital where he had gone to be treated.

Vendors spoke of people killed by MINUSTAH gun 
fire. According to an officer of the National 
Association of Vendors, at least three people 
were shot and killed by MINUSTAH soldiers, who 
allegedly zipped bodies into bags and took them 
away. Reportedly, the families could not locate 
the bodies in the local morgue. A different 
source indicated that more people may have been 
killed. The Vendors Association officer also 
stated that several hundred vendors may have lost their property in the raid.

The National Association for the Defense of 
Haitian Vendors and Consumers has filed a formal 
complaint asking the Haitian President to take 
action and secure compensation for the 263 
Haitian vendors whose property was reportedly 
destroyed by the MINUSTAH troops. Members of the 
association provided our human rights delegation 
with a full listing of the names of these 
vendors, what property they lost, and how much it 
was valued. For many of these vendors, who live 
in dire poverty, the loss in property is truly 
devastating. Additionally, the Association 
provided us with a list naming seven people who 
were injured and two killed -- Amonese Pierre and 
Anna Ainsi Connu -- by the MINUSTAH troops.

This kind of massive assault by MINUSTAH troops 
on the civilian population has happened many 
times before, such as the notorious attack on the 
people of Cite Soleil on July 6th, 2005. It is 
time for the international human rights community 
to stand up in defense of the street vendors and the Haitian people.

Take action to demand that the MINUSTAH soldiers 
involved in this latest outrage are prosecuted for crimes against civilians!

MINUSTAH, the United Nations Stabilization 
Mission in Haiti, was brought into Haiti by the 
UN in June 2004, several months after the U.S., 
Canada and France forced then-President Jean 
Bertrand Aristide out of office and into exile. 
Some 9,000 military and police officers from 
different countries are charged with keeping the 
peace, but have been accused by many of targeting 
Aristide supporters. More than 100 U.N. soldiers 
have been deported from Haiti, having been 
accused of sexual abuse. The June 2007-July 2008 
budget for the UN operation in Haiti is $535 million.

Take action to demand that the street vendors 
receive full compensation for what they lost!

Contact:
UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
Tel: 011-509-244-0650/0660
FAX: 011-509-244-9366/67
Or, Fax Office of Secretary General (New York): 212-963-4879

President Rene Preval
Fax to 206-350-7986 (a US number) or email to 
<mailto:avokahaiti at aol.com>avokahaiti at aol.com
Your letter will be hand-delivered to the Presidential Palace in Haiti.

Haitian Ministry of Justice
Tel: 011-509-245-0474


Contact Haiti Action Committee at 
<http://www.haitisolidarity.net>www.haitisolidarity.net
More news & information at <http://www.haitiaction.net>www.haitiaction.net



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