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UN launches operation against crime in Haitian capital

16 July 2011 04:14 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The UN mission in Haiti sent in more than 2,000 troops Friday to rein in crime in gang-plagued districts of the capital Port-au-Prince, according to reports monitored here.

The UN Stabilization Mission for Haiti (Minustah) personnel were deployed in the particularly dangerous neighborhoods of Martissant, Cite Soleil and Bel Air in an operation codenamed "Phoenix," Minustah spokeswoman Barbara Mertz said.

"Operation Phoenix will last several days in three neighborhoods which for a long time have served as safe havens for gangs," Mertz said.

Once order is restored, Minustah will clean up the streets, set up clinics and repair roads.

Since Minustah was set up in June 2004, Haiti’s security has been largely under the control of the UN mission.