UN mission strengthens presence at border town

Haiti: UN mission strengthens presence at border town

4 August 2008 –The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) is bolstering its presence in a key north-eastern border town as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal drug trafficking and improve security in an area prone to smuggling and other crimes.
Military troops and UN Police (UNPOL) officers have been dispatched to Ouanaminthe, one of the largest border points between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, according to a press report issued on Friday by MINUSTAH.

The blue helmets are supporting local police, customs officers, quarantine staff and immigration officials in their work supervising the border between the two Caribbean nations.

They have also secured the perimeter of a bridge connecting Ouanaminthe with Dajabon, a town in the Dominican Republic that is home to a large market on Mondays and Fridays that attracts many Haitians.

MINUSTAH has paid for the manufacture of a metal gate to control the border bridge and the rehabilitation of a nearby customs warehouse.

Ouanaminthe’s mayor, Rony Pierre, has welcomed the increased MINUSTAH presence, saying it is helping to reduce banditry and insecurity.