By Eric Green Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- New violence in the form of lynchings has erupted over the last several weeks in Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince, reports the U.N. Stabilization Mission in the Caribbean country.

The U.N. mission, known as MINUSTAH, in an August 25 statement expressed its "very serious concern over this new settling of accounts and firmly condemns these acts of violence which are considered crimes under Haiti's constitution and laws."

MINUSTAH called on "citizens who have participated in these criminal acts" to end them at once.

The mission has said it is continuing to support Haiti's transitional government in its efforts to reform and strengthen the country's institutions. Such efforts, said MINUSTAH, "are fundamental for the establishment" of a Haitian state "based on the rule of law as the only guarantee of social and political stability." Violence in Haiti's capital has been one of the major problems facing MINUSTAH since it was set up by the U.N. Security Council in 2004 to help re-establish order in the impoverished country after an insurgency forced former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to go into exile in February 2004.

The United States is providing some of the civilian police and military personnel for the approximately 1,000-person MINUSTAH force working to stabilize Haiti.

The warning from MINUSTAH follows its August 23 statement that its peacekeeping force in Haiti must not leave the Caribbean country prematurely.

MINUSTAH said other missions in Haiti "failed because they pulled out their troops prematurely. MINUSTAH must avoid making the same mistake."

ABOLITION OF TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE COMMEMORATED

In a separate event involving Haiti, the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) marked the "International Day for the Remembrance of Slavery and its Abolition" August 23 by recalling the "lasting consequences" of the slave trade in the Americas, Europe and the Indian Ocean region.

UNESCO chose that date as the international day of remembrance to commemorate an August 22-23 insurrection in Saint-Domingue (today Haiti), which was to play a pivotal role in the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the emancipation of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. Haiti declared its independence from France in 1804, becoming the second independent republic in the Western Hemisphere after the United States. For additional information, see Haiti.

Created: 25 Aug 2005 Updated: 25 Aug 2005 Page Tools: Printer friendly version E-mail this article

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By Eric Green Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- For the first time since a United Nations multinational peacekeeping force began operations in Haiti in July 2004, a significant improvement has been made in the fight to increase security in the Caribbean nation, according to the world body senior official there.

In an August 11 statement, Juan Gabriel Valdès, the U.N.'s special representative in Haiti, said abductions and other criminal acts in the country are decreasing considerably.

"Tangible progress has been made in the fight to increase security," he said.

The representative said that the U.N. mission, known as MINUSTAH, will continue to use "the necessary force that our mandate permits" to defeat criminal elements in Haiti who "understand only the language of violence and weapons."

The United States is providing some of the civilian police and military personnel for the approximately 1,000-person MINUSTAH force working to stabilize Haiti.

The U.N. also reported that over 60 political parties have registered for scheduled elections in Haiti later in 2005.

Haiti's new government is expected to take charge February 7, 2006, said Valdès, adding that the Haitian government's electoral commission has extended the voter registration period in the country by six weeks, until September 15.

"We believe in an inclusive electoral process because it confers a profound legitimacy," Valdès said. He added that Haiti's political parties had agreed that 30 percent of the candidates fielded in the November and December elections would be women.

The United States is providing $15 million to support the Haitian elections -- part of a $44 million commitment from the international community to promote democracy and stability in the Caribbean nation. The United States provided $8.7 million in 2004 to support Haiti's electoral process.

MINUSTAH has spent more than a year re-establishing order in Haiti, especially in two shantytowns, Bel Air and Cité Soleil, within Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince.

U.N. peacekeepers patrolling Bel Air continued their fight August 10 against kidnapping in the district by finding a man who had been seized the day before.

The U.N. said abductions in Haiti have decreased significantly since mid-July. The kidnapping victim was the second person found and released in the last 24 hours, the seventh such kidnapping-and-release case in about seven weeks.

In calling for armed groups to lay down their weapons, Valdès said MINUSTAH was prepared to talk with those implicated in violence and offer them the chance to join Haiti's disarmament, demobilization, and re-integration program.

Created: 12 Aug 2005 Updated: 12 Aug 2005.

USINFO delivers information about current U.S. foreign policy and about American life and culture. This site is produced and maintained by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs. Links to other internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

Honorable Governor Mitt Romney

State House Office of the Governor

Room 360

Boston, MA 02133

Dear Governor :

The purpose of this letter is to request a thorough investigation relative to the accusations and allegations that overshadow the reputation of Pierre Imbert, your newly sworn leader of the Office of Immigrants and Refugees. The result of this investigation may set the record straight and allow Pierre Imbert to have the confidence not only of your administration but all of the citizens of the Commonwealth including Haitian Americans.

Considering the gravity of the allegations of corruption and mismanagement made against Pierre Imbert by his peers and the negative opinions expressed by the listeners of our bilingual weekly radio show aired on WNTN 1550, Newton, criticizing your administration on Pierre Imbert’s choice to lead the Office of Immigrants and Refugees. We strongly believe that your administration must handle that developing situation carefully.

For years, members of the Haitian community have been demanding answers on many different issues that are very significant. Unfortunately, Catholic Charities and Pierre Imbert have preferred to keep it silent and used their influence to cover up the issues. Although it is the culture at Catholic Charities to keep and cover up major indiscretions, now as your choice to lead the Massachusetts Office of Immigrants and Refugees, we believe that taxpayers in the Commonwealth have the right to hear more about this man who has been called a crook by Dr. Yves A. Isidor, an economics professor at UMASS University.

Below are the questions that have remained too long unanswered.

Did Pierre Imbert obtain any financial, sexual or any special treatment to allow payroll fraud scheme by tolerating one of his managers to assist a woman to obtain Massachusetts Transitional Assistance unlawfully while she lived and worked in Canada?

What happened to the non-profit funds that Pierre Imbert allegedly used, according to the Boston Globe, to finance an event to support Cardinal Bernard Law?

Did Pierre Imbert obtain any special treatment or monetary advantage to close a deal that gave away the Haitian Multi-Service Center (HMSC) and all of its assets to Catholic Charities for a symbolic fee of $5 without consulting or informing the Haitian community of Massachusetts?

On what grounds did Pierre Imbert agree with Catholic Charities to move the HMSC from its original place on 12 Bicknell Street, Dorchester, without consulting his board or informing the Haitian community through its media? Why did Pierre Imbert choose to break up his entire board in the middle of a crisis last year and replace them with close friends?

Why has Pierre Imbert sealed information about three consecutive suspicious robberies at the HMSC and threaten to terminate any employee who speaks to the media about the incidents?

Here are a few discrepancies about Pierre Imbert’s management of the Haitian Multi-Service Center.

For an extended period of time, Pierre Imbert allowed one of his deputies to assist a young, able woman, who lived and worked in Canada, to obtain paychecks from the Massachusetts Department of Transitional while enjoying a more laid-back life in Canada.

On April 13, 2002, an article appeared on page B7 of the Boston Globe about Pierre Imbert being scrutinized for spending non-profit money to sponsor a Palm Sunday event to support the embattled Cardinal Bernard Law during his sex scandal ordeal. Pierre Imbert claimed that the funds would be reimbursed by one of the Haitian businessmen. Until this point, there is no evidence that the money was returned.

Two years ago, Pierre Imbert, then Executive Director of Catholic Charities, signed a secret document passing the Haitian Multi-Service Center’s estate to Catholic Charities for a meager $5. Until now Pierre Imbert has refused to give any explanation to the Haitian community about this obscure transaction that put an end to the organization that was founded with private donations and taxpayer’s money and which represented the pride of the Haitian community of Massachusetts.

The Haitian community donated funds to remodel the building that houses the Haitian Multi-Service Center only to find out later through the American news media that there would be no remodeling and that Catholic Charities would be moving the Center to an alternative location.

After the entire board was forced out by Pierre Imbert and Catholic Charities, business leaders, community activists, former board members and original founders came together under the leadership of Attorney Elda James to create a new Haitian Multi-Service Center and now are struggling to provide a few services to the Haitian community. Their goal is to carry on with the original mission of serving the newest members of the Haitian community and preparing them to integrate into mainstream America.

Early this year, the HMSC was robbed three times in a row under very suspicious circumstances. Pierre Imbert refused to give any information to the Haitian media about the robberies and used his influence in an attempt to censure the Haitian media.

During his ten years as the Executive Director of the Haitian Multi-Service Center Pierre Imbert and Catholic Charities have embarrassed the Haitian leaders in Boston.

Your honor, we count on your guidance to help us through this dilemma. Thank you in advance for your leadership and your prompt cooperation in this matter.

Jacques Dady Jean, BS

Hazel Banoe

Karrie Ann Newcomb Jean

CC : Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Edward Kennedy, State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, State Sen. Brian Joyce, State Rep. Marie St-Fleur, State Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry, Mass Attorney General Tom Rieley, Catholic Charity.