27131: Craig (news) BBC: Haiti UN mission chief found dead (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

Haiti UN mission chief found dead

Last Updated: Sunday, 8 January 2006, 02:08 GMT

The commander of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Haiti has been found 
dead in a hotel room.

The body of Gen Urano Teixeira Da Matta Bacellar was discovered early in the 
morning in the capital, Port-au-Prince, with a bullet wound to the head.

UN officials said Gen Teixeira, who took over as head of the 9,000-strong 
peacekeeping force last September, appeared to have shot himself.

Brazil's president said his country would continue to send troops to Haiti.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that Gen Teixeira was conducting a difficult 
task with "excellence and responsibility".

"[The Brazilian government] reaffirms its determination to support the people 
of Haiti in the construction of peace and political stability," he added.

Little success

Brazil's ambassador to Haiti, Paulo Cordeiro de Andrade Pinto, called Gen 
Teixeira a "good and honourable" soldier, and said his death was a devastating 
blow.

"It is unfortunate and devastating to see such a good and honourable general 
killed in such circumstances," Brazilian ambassador to Haiti Paulo Cordeiro de 
Andrade Pinto said.

Gen Teixeira will be replaced by Chilean General Eduardo Aldunate Herman.

Correspondents say the UN mission has been overwhelmingly difficult.

Haiti continues to be blighted by political and criminal violence and 
instability, nearly two years after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was 
ousted.

The peacekeepers have so far had little success in improving security.

The mission's mandate, which expires in mid-February, also includes supporting 
the political process.

Election in doubt

Correspondents say the Brazilian general's death casts further doubt over the 
timing of the country's election, which has already been postponed four times.

The poll has faced repeated delays because of spikes in violence, delays in 
distributing 3.5 million voter identification cards and problems with polling 
stations.

On Friday, the UN Security Council urged the country's interim government to 
hold an election by 7 February.

Voting had originally been scheduled for November, then moved to December, and 
then delayed a third time until 8 January.

But last week Haiti's provisional electoral council postponed the election 
again, without setting a new date.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4590700.stm